伶鼬种

亚种

伶鼬东北亚种（学名：Mustela nivalis pygmaea），J. Allen于1903年命名。分布于西伯利亚鄂霍次克海西岸以及中国大陆的河北、黑龙江、辽宁、内蒙古、吉林等地。该物种的模式产地在鄂霍次克海西岸,Gichiga。

伶鼬四川亚种（学名：Mustela nivalis russelliana），Thomas于1911年命名。在中国大陆，分布于四川等地。该物种的模式产地在四川康定附近。

伶鼬莎车亚种（学名：Mustela nivalis stoliczkana），Blanford于1877年命名。在中国大陆，分布于新疆（南部）等地。该物种的模式产地在新疆莎车。

保护

本种于2023年被收录入《有重要生态、科学、社会价值的陆生野生动物名录》。

The least weasel (Mustela nivalis), little weasel, common weasel, or simply weasel is the smallest member of the genus Mustela, family Mustelidae and order Carnivora. It is native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Malta, Crete, the Azores, and São Tomé. It is classified as least concern by the IUCN, due to its wide distribution and large population throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Eighteen subspecies are recognised.

The least weasel varies greatly in size over its range. The body is slender and elongated, and the legs and tail are relatively short. The colour varies geographically, as does the pelage type and length of tail. The dorsal surface, flanks, limbs and tail of the animal are usually some shade of brown while the underparts are white. The line delineating the boundary between the two colours is usually straight. At high altitudes and in the northern part of its range, the coat becomes pure white in winter.

Small rodents form the largest part of the least weasel's diet, but it also kills and eats rabbits, other mammals, and occasionally birds, birds' eggs, fish and frogs. Males mark their territories with olfactory signals and have exclusive home ranges which may intersect with or include several female ranges. Least weasels use pre-existing holes to sleep, store food and raise their young. Breeding takes place in the spring and summer, and there is a single litter of about six kits which are reared exclusively by the female. Due to its small size and fierce nature, the least weasel plays an important part in the mythology and legend of various cultures.

Taxonomy and evolution

The least weasel was given its scientific name Mustela nivalis by Carl Linnaeus in his Twelfth edition of Systema Naturae in 1766; its epithet nivalis comes from the Latin word nix meaning "snow" because it grows a white coat during the winter season. The type locality was Västerbotten in Sweden. As an animal with a very wide distribution, the morphology of the least weasel varies geographically. The species was reviewed by Reichstein in 1957 and again by van Zyll de Jong in 1992 and Reig in 1997.

Description

The least weasel has a thin, greatly elongated and extremely flexible body with a small, yet elongated, blunt-muzzled head which is no thicker than the neck. The eyes are small in relation to their head size and are bulging and dark colored. The legs and tail are relatively short, the latter constituting less than half the body length. The feet have sharp, dark-coloured claws, and the soles are heavily haired.

Distribution and habitat

The least weasel has a circumboreal, Holarctic distribution, encompassing much of Europe and North Africa, Asia and parts of northern North America. It has been introduced to New Zealand, Malta, Crete, the Azores Islands and also São Tomé off West Africa. It occurs throughout Europe, except Ireland, and on all major Mediterranean islands. It also occurs on Honshu and Hokkaido Islands in Japan and on Kunashir, Iturup, and Sakhalin Islands in Russia.

Behaviour and ecology

Reproduction and development

The least weasel mates in April–July and there is a 34- to 37-day gestation period. In the Northern Hemisphere, the average litter size consists of 6 kits and these reach sexual maturity in 3 to 4 months. Males may mate during their first year of life, though this is usually unsuccessful. They are fecund in February–October, though the early stages of spermatogenesis do occur throughout the winter months. Anestrus in females lasts from September until February.

Conservation

The least weasel is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, because of its wide global distribution and large population that is thought to be not in decline.

In folklore and mythology

Macedonian and Greek culture

The Ancient Macedonians believed that to see a least weasel was a good omen. In some districts of Macedon, women who suffered from headaches after having washed their heads in water drawn overnight would assume that a weasel had previously used the water as a mirror, but they would refrain from mentioning the animal's name for fear that it would destroy their clothes.