I am shocked that today’s animal managed to weasel its way out of our Wild Facts for this long. Well my friends today is the day that the Weasel gets its moment in the spotlight. I want to thank Clayton for coming to my rescue with an idea tonight since I was unable to think of an animal I wanted to write about. Well enough small talk let’s get right into the interesting stuff shall we?
The Weasel is a small mammal that can be found all across the world excluding Antarctica and Australia. In urban and rural areas the Weasel has a bad reputation since they tend to feed on eggs, chickens and rabbits from the farms. I guess farmers just don’t understand how scrumptious their livestock is to the weasel. Aside from angering the farmers the weasel will also feed on mice, birds and other small rodents.
The small size of the weasel means that they tend to have several predators such as owls, birds of prey, snakes, cats, and of course the wonderful fox. Although they are small and look like an easy dinner the speed and agility of the weasel makes it difficult for the oncoming predator. If this isn’t enough it has been said that the weasel actually smells worse than a skunk as a result of their musk glands. Would you really want to attack and eat something that smells worse than a skunk?
Yesterday we talked about the “pronking” Springbok well not to be outdone the weasel has a similar trick. Only theirs is called the “Weasel War Dance” and is usually occurs when the weasel is excited or frightened. This special dance usually consists of a series of sideways or backwards hops and is accompanied with an arched back, hissing noises and a frizzy tail. Come to think of it that is pretty much the same way that I dance after a few too many beverages. In the wild it is believed that this dance is used to confuse their prey. If you have ever owned a ferret than you will understand this dance that is usually associated with playing.
I hope you enjoyed today’s Weasel Fact. Make sure you stop by tomorrow for a new and exciting Wild Fact!
