Hi Chris, I looked in my Sleek & Savage book, and here are excerpts from the section on "Long-Tailed Weasel, Short-Tailed Weasel, Least Weasel": ********* "'If this creature were as large as a cougar, nobody would dare to venture out of doors, because it is second to none, including the badger, in courage, and is possibly the most bloodthirsty villain on earth.' Thus an Idaho biologist describes the weasel. Tooth for tooth and ounce for ounce, the weasel is the fiercest and most efficient predator in the mamal world. [We've already noticed... ;-) ] "Three weasel species are found in North America. Largest is the long-tailed weasel, Mustela Frenata, which reaches up to twenty-four inches in length (depending upon subspecies and sex) and weighs six to nine ounces. Next in size, and often mistaken for its long-tailed relative, is the short- tailed weasel, Mustela Erminea, which measure eight to thirteen inches and weighs considerably less - only 2 to 4 ounces. Difficult as it may be to imagine a smaller species, there is one: Mustela Nivalis, the least weasel, which is seven to eight inches long and weighs in at 1 or 2 ounces. It is the smallest carnivore in the world. "Overly fierce as weasels may appear, there is reason for this behavior: they require up to 40 % of their body weight in food every day. Most of this is meat, for they are the most carnivorous of all the mustelids. Contrary to popular belief, they are not bloodsuckers. They will kill more than they can eat but will usually store their surplus for future use. "Small rodents are their staple diet, garnished with rabbits, birds, eggs, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and worms. The diet of the least weasel is limited almost entirely to mice. Its large relatives have been known to raid henhouses and slaughter whole flocks, much to the fury of the farmer. Never- theless, these animals are a boon to him. As a principal predator of harmful rodents, they are more effective than any mousetrap in protecting fields and orchards from meadow mice, rats, and pocket gophers. It has been claimed that, were it not for weasels, rats and mice would multiply so rapidly that they would overrun the earth. "Hyperactive, superaggressive, the weasel is so high-strung that some in captivity have died from overexcitement. "Summer or winter, the weasel is difficult to spot, not only because of its furtive movements, but also because of its beautifully blending coat. Through natural selection, the northern weasel has gained the capacity to exchange its summer brown coat for winter white. These molts, which occur generally in the more snow-covered northern ranges, are triggered by the changing duration of daylight. The amount of light received through the eyes is believed to influence the pituitary gland, which in turn affects the hormones controlling the molting cycle. Thus, in March or April, new dark hairs appear on the weasel's back and gradually extend down the flanks until the upper parts turn brown. In winter the process reverses to white. "Ermine, the fur of kings, is the weasel's natural winter coat. Its soft, white pelt, with black tails symbolizing the highest rank, adorns the capes of Europe's royalty. "Weasels establish home ranges varying in size from a couple of acres to many miles, depending on the food available. However, they do not normally travel over long distances. In 1933, a tracking study in fresh snow established the short-tailed weasel's range at 4 miles; another study in 1944 established it at 3.43 miles. "The short-tailed weasel, commonly called the ermine, closely resembles the long-tailed weasel except for its smaller size. In addition, it has a tiny white line on the inside of the hind leg which extends to its completely white feet. The ermine is found over a large range, extending across the northern United States and throughout Canada. Colored chocolate above in summer, its coat turns white in winter throughout its range, except on the humid northwest coast from southern British Columbia to California, where it remains brown for the entire year. Throughout its range, the short-tailed weasel is most numerous at lower elevations where there is water and a plentiful food supply of small mammals and birds. "The 2 ounce least weasel is identified by its diminutive size and its very short tail (1 to 1 1/2 inches long), which is without the distinct black tip. From the Alleghenies across the continent to Alaska, it is found most often in marshes, meadows, and open woodlands. Only in the southeast part of its range does it remain brown in winter. In northern BC, this little weasel is found sparsely in parkland-type habitats. ******** I hope this gives you some useful information as far as identifying and the caring and training of your critter goes. The book also has more information on breeding and such, if you want to know. [ It sure does. No, we don't want to breed it - one is enough! ] Someone else wanted the address of Ferrets Northwest: Ferrets Northwest c/o Ed Lipinski 4321 86th Ave., S.E. Mercer Island, WA 98040-4124 Concerning the legality of ferrets in California: they are illegal, period. I know from first hand experience. Several years ago when we first got our first ferret, we went to California to spend Christmas with my husband's relatives. Not knowing that there would be a problem, we took our ferret with us. Anyhow, to make a long story short, we had to leave our ferret behind with the border check people for 3 days. They took good care of her though. Her litter box was clean and she was fat. Well, enough for now. Shu-Ju [Posted in FML 0025]