Weasel (scientific name: mustela sibirica): Is a small carnivore of the mammal family Mustela Sibirica. Commonly known as the weasel. Body length 28-40 cm, tail length 12-25 cm, weight 210-1200 g. Females are 1/2-1/3 smaller than males. The skull is elongated and narrow, with a flat apex. Medium in size and slender in body. The head is thin and the neck is long. The ear shell is short and wide, slightly protruding from the hairy bushes. The tail length is about half the length of the body. In winter, the tail hair is long and fluffy, and in the summer and autumn, the fluff is thin, and the tail hair is not scattered. The limbs are short, all with 5 toes, the toes are sharp, and there is a small skin membrane between the toes. The glands are developed. The base of the male's penis expands into nodular shapes and the ends are hooked. The fur around the body is brownish yellow or orange-yellow.
Weasels are the smallest of the carnivores. The head is slightly rounded, the neck is long, the body is long and the limbs are short, and it can drill into the rat hole to kill rats. Slender body; small and flat head; long and flexible neck; short limbs, 5 toes per foot, sharp curved claws on the toes, reddish-brown back coat, white around the mouth, and pale yellow-brown thorax and abdomen. The smallest of these is the weasel, with a body length of 10 to 15 cm, a tail length of 3 to 4 cm, and a weight of 30 to 70 grams. The larger ones are weasels and mustela ferrets, with a body length of 30 to 50 cm, a tail length of 15 to 20 cm, and a weight of 0.5 to 1 kg. Ferrets are active, bold, good at catching prey, and are typical opportunistic predators. Ferrets prey on rodents, fish, frogs and bird eggs at night, which is conducive to controlling the population of rodents, so they are taxa that play a key role in the health of the ecosystem.
weasel
Stinky glands
Weasels have glands, also known as perianal glands and odorous glands, which release an aerosol-like odorous fluid for self-defense. Many animals have odor glands in their bodies, such as near the anus of fart worms, Tsubaki elephants and bed bugs near the base of the hind feet. Stink glands can secrete odorous liquids or odors with a foul odor to deter predators. The most developed animal with stink glands is the American skunk. When it encounters an attack, it will raise its tail to shoot out a stinky liquid, which is not only strangely smelly but also paralyzing.
This odor is formed by the odor glands on both sides of the anus and erupts from the anus when in danger. Having stink glands is also a feature of mustelas. Anyone who has smelled this stink will know that it smells like rotten eggs, and it stinks badly, and it is not okay to pinch your nose.
Skunks were once grouped into the family Mustelae with ferrets such as weasels, but now they are a single family, the mephitidae. Distributed on the North and South American continents, there are 4 genera and 12 species, some large and some small. The stench they put in is actually an amber liquid, which forms a fine mist because it is spewed out as hard as possible. Once it rushed into the other person's eyes, it was hot and painful, and the tears were not stopped. Sometimes it is more powerful, so that the other party can temporarily see nothing.
After careful research, it was determined that the composition of this gas was a substance called butyl mercaptan. A skunk can produce about 1 ml of butyl mercaptan per day, stored in the glands, once needed, the skunk stands upside down with its front feet, the eyes aim, and the anus sprays the odor out at the other party, which can be sprayed to about 4 meters, which shows the strength. Because of this, coyotes and other weapons that force it never attack skunks. But the skunk does not do what it wants, as the saying goes: there are stronger hands in the strong, and there are still animals that can subdue it. Birds such as eagles and vultures can suddenly attack from the air, and skunks cannot be overwhelmed for a while, and can only be caught. Therefore, these birds are the natural enemies of skunks, and the talisman magic weapon does not work.
This article was co-edited by headline encyclopedia users Happy 1978, Autumn Love Tomorrow, and Wanding Star Bow Biao.