Q:"The comparison between the bbf and ferrets was very interesting.  Can you
expand it a little more to include weasels since they always seem to be
mistaken for ferrets?"
 
A: It's 'cause they wear those masks to hide their identity.
 
There's the FML version of a chart:
 
GENUS MUSTELA: Includes the world's smallest carnivore (Mustela nivalis)
and rarest mammal (M. nigripes). [16 extant species, 1 domesticated
species, 1 recently extinct species]: Mustela africana (tropical weasel),
M. altaica (moutain weasel), M. erminea (ermine or stoat), M. eversmanni
(steppe polecat), M. felipei (Columbian weasel), M. frenata (long-tailed
weasel), M. furo (domesticated ferret), M. kathiah (yellow-bellied
weasel), M. lutreola (European mink), M. lutreolina (Indonesian mountain
weasel), M. marcodon (sea mink), M. nigripes (black-footed ferret), M.
nivalis (least or common weasel), M. nudipes (Malaysian weasel), M.
putorius (European polecat), M. sibirica (Siberian weasel), M. strigidorsa
(back-striped weasel), M. vison (American mink).
 
ACTIVITY PERIODS: ANYTIME: Mustela erminea, M. frenata, M. vison.
CREPUSCULAR: M. altaica, M. furo, M. lutreola, M. lutreolina, M. putorius,
M. sibirica. DIURNAL: M. nivalis. NOCTURNAL: M. altaica, M. eversmanni, M.
furo, M. lutreola, M. lutreolina, M. nigripes, M. putorius, M. sibirica.
UNDESCRIBED: Remaining species.
 
SOCIAL BEHAVIOR: Only solitary sexual territorialist reported; Mustela
furo can adapt to gregarious conditions in captivity.
 
CHROMOSOMES: Mustela erminea (2n = 44), M. eversmanni (2n = 38), M.
frenata (2n = 42), M. furo (2n = 40); M. lutreola (2n = 38), M. nivalis
(2n = 42), M. putorius (2n = 40), M. sibirica (2n = 38), M. vison (2n =
30). UNDESCRIBED: Remaining species.
 
DENTITION: ALL: i 3/3, c 1/1, p 3/3, m 1/2 = 16/18 = 32.
 
DISTRIBUTION: ASIA: Mustela altaica, M. erminea; M. eversmanni; M. kathiah,
M. lutreolina, M. nivalis; M. nudipes, M. sibirica, M. strigidorsa, M. vison
(introduced).
EUROPE: M. erminea; M. eversmanni, M. furo (introduced), M. lutreola, M.
nivalis; M. putorius, M. sibirica, M. strigidorsa, M. vison (introduced).
NEW ZEALAND: M. erminea (introduced), M. furo (introduced), M. nivalis
(introduced).
NORTH AMERICA: M. erminea, M. frenata; M. marcodon, M. nigripes, M. nivalis,
M. vison.
SOUTH AMERICA: M. africana, M. felipei, M. frenata.
 
ECOLOGICAL ZONES: ARCTIC: Mustela erminea, M. nivalis. GRASSLAND: M.
erminea, M. eversmanni, M. frenata, M. nivalis, M. nigripes, M. putorius,
M. sibirica. MOUNTAIN: M. altaica, M. kathiah, M. lutreolina. RIPARIAN AND
AQUATIC: M. africana, M. felipei, M. lutreola, M. marcodon, M. vison.
SEMIDESERT: M. eversmanni, M. nivalis. TEMPERATE FOREST: M. altaica, M.
erminea, M. frenata, M. kathiah, M. nivalis, M. putorius, M. sibirica, M.
strigidorsa. TROPICAL FOREST: None reported. UNDESCRIBED: Remaining species.
 
LOCOMOTOR ADAPTATION: CLIMBING: Mustela erminea, M. frenata and M. sibirica.
SEMIAQUATIC: M. africana, M. felipei, M. lutreola, M. marcodon, M. vison.
TERRESTRIAL: all.
 
NOXOUS ANAL SECRETIONS: Mustela furo, M. putorius, M. vison.
UNDESCRIBED: Remaining species.
 
STATUS: CITES APPENDIX I: Mustela nigripes (North America). CITES APPENDIX
III: M. altaica (India), M. nivalis (India), M. kathiah (India), M.
sibirica (India). ESA ENDANGERED: M. nigripes (North America).  IUCN
VULERABLE: M. lutreola (Europe), M. lutreolina (Europe). IUCN ENDANGERED:
M. nigripes (North America). USDI ENDANGERED: M. nigripes (North America).
EXTINCT: M. marcodon. Local populations may be endangered without the
species being placed on a list.
 
Well, its a start....
 
Bob C and 20 MO Nasally Noxous Furbutts
[Posted in FML issue 2358]