I'm trying to settle a debate.  Exactly how closely related to ferrets are
opposums?  I now they're marsupials, but are they not also weasels?
 
What are all the close cousins of the Mustilidae?
I know ermines, martens, skunks, mink, ferrets, otters, and I thought opposums
were in there too.  Because they're marspuials, does that mean they are
*not* so closely related to ferrets?  Or what?
 
I'm sooo confused!
 
[Order marsupialia isn't close at all to Family Mustilidae (of order
Carnivora).  Opossums are no more closely related to ferrets than they
are to cats or dogs.  Other mustilidae include:  fishers, weasels
(several species, one of which I believe is the standard UK "stoat"),
zorillas, grison, sable (yes, *that* sable), wolverines, tayra, various
badgers, ratel, and several species of otter.  My book says that
there's 67 species of mustilidae in 23 genera in all regions of the
world except Australia and Madagascar.  Superficially, Mustilidae looks
more like Family Viverridae (civets, mongeese, genet, linsang) by having
scent glands, general physical appearance, ecological niches etc...]
 
[Posted in FML issue 0907]