Colombian Weasel

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Columbian Weasel
Colombian Weasel
Conservation status
Endangered
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Subclass: Theria Infraclass: Eutheria Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae Subfamily: Mustelinae Genus: Mustela Species: M. felipei
Binomial name
Mustela felipei Izor and De la Torre, 1978

Colombian Weasel (Mustela felipei) is a species of weasel from South America, especially Colombia, but some specimens have been found in northern Ecuador.

It is a carnivore, sometimes attacking domestic animals like chickens. Because of that, it is often killed by farmers. It is also killed because the weasels are associated with local superstitions. The population appears to be in severe decline, labeled as a species in critical danger by the Colombian government, but it has not been included in the CITES international list of endangered species.

This weasel lives in the mountain forests of Andes, from 1500 to 2000 meters above sea level. The climate is subtropical. It has solitary habits and is not often seen.

[edit] References

• Izor, R. J. y N. E. Peterson. 1985. Notes on South American weasels. Journal of Mammalogy 66: 788–790.

• IUCN. 2004. 2004 IUCN Red list of threatened species. The IUCN species survival commission. IUCN. The World Conservation Union. Gland. <http://www.redlist.org/> [2005-08-31]
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