Weasel family
| Mustelidae Temporal range: 15–0 Ma Early Miocene – Recent |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Long-tailed weasel | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Superfamily: | Musteloidea |
| Family: |
Mustelidae G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817 |
| Type genus | |
|
Mustela Linnaeus, 1758 |
|
| Subfamilies | |
|
Lutrinae (otters) |
|
Lutrinae (otters)
Melinae (European badgers)
Mellivorinae (honey badgers)
Taxidiinae (American badgers)
Mustelinae (weasels, tayra, wolverines, martens, polecats)
Note ambiguity about classification at the section Systematics.
The Mustelidae (from Latin mustela, weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, martens, mink, and wolverines, among others. Mustelids are diverse and the largest family in the order Carnivora. The internal classification is still disputed, with rival proposals containing between two and eight subfamilies. One study, published in 2008, questions the long-accepted Mustelinae subfamily, and suggests that the Mustelidae consist of four major clades and three much smaller lineages.
Mustelids vary greatly in size and behaviour. The least weasel can be under a foot in length, while the giant otter can measure up to 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) and sea otters can exceed 45 kg (99 lb) in weight. The wolverine can crush bones as thick as the femur of a moose to get at the marrow, and has been seen attempting to drive bears away from their kills. The sea otter uses rocks to break open shellfish to eat. The marten is largely arboreal, while the badger digs extensive networks of tunnels, called setts. Some mustelids have been domesticated: the ferret and the tayra are kept as pets (although the tayra requires a Dangerous Wild Animals licence in the UK), or as working animals for hunting or vermin control. Others have been important in the fur trade—the mink is often raised for its fur.
...
Wikipedia