There are weasels at the arboretum!
The weasel family includes weasels, minks, otters, martens, fishers, skunks, badgers, and wolverines.
Paul Rezendes writes: “The weasel’s generic name, Mustela, means ‘one who carries mice.’ The word weasel comes from the Sanskrit visra, which means ‘to have a musty smell.’”
There are two kinds of weasels in Oregon, short-tailed and long-tailed. Which one did I see? David Moskowitz had this to say: “These two species can be difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish in the field, either from live sightings or tracks. While long-tailed weasels are usually larger than short-tailed weasels, because they are both sexually dimorphic, a slight size overlap exists between large male short-tailed weasels and small female long-tailed weasels. A few minor habitat use distinctions between the two species are also not absolute.” Also, both of these weasels have black-tipped tails. When I looked at my photos, I noticed that this weasel didn’t have a black-tipped tail, which added to the mystery.
Long tail short, sometimes it is best to let go of names. Tom Brown, Jr. reminds us that: “Everything worth knowing about the animal lies beyond the name… Concentrate on concepts, feelings, and sensations. Most of all, concentrate on interacting with the things you encounter in nature.”
That said, what I do know is that this little animal is slender, fast, and action-packed. It can swim, climb trees, travel tunnels, search burrows, explore hollow logs, slide in between rocks, and dive into snow banks. This makes a very skilled hunter.
Out at the arboretum, they have many small mammals to eat, such as mice, voles, chipmunks, rabbits, squirrels, and pocket gophers. They will also eat birds, eggs, berries, seeds, and forbs.
This is just a brief introduction to an amazing animal, and I hope that you are inspired to learn more. This encounter always reminds me that there are so many fascinating discoveries to be made in local parks and in my backyard. Nature is an inexhaustible source of wonder. See you out there.
References
Brown, Tom, and Brandt Morgan. Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking. Berkley trade pbk. ed, Berkley Books, 1983.
Moskowitz, David. Wildlife of the Pacific Northwest: Tracking and Identifying Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, and Invertebrates. Timber Press, 2010.
Rezendes, Paul. Tracking & the Art of Seeing: How to Read Animal Tracks & Sign. 2nd ed, HarperCollins, 1999.