Mustela

Mustela is a genus of carnivorous mammals, family Mustelidae, order Carnivora, comprising sixteen extant species commonly known as weasels, stoats and ferrets, though recent taxonomic revisions have moved some former members to the related genus Neogale. Weasels are found across Europe, North America, much of Asia and small areas of North Africa, and have been introduced by humans to regions such as New Zealand and parts of southern Asia. Members of the genus are small, active predators with long, slender bodies and short legs; the least weasel, Mustela nivalis, the smallest species, measures 173 to 217 millimeters in body length with a tail of 34 to 52 millimeters. Most species display red or brown upper coats with white bellies, and some populations molt to a white coat for winter. Weasels feed heavily on small mammals and consume large numbers of rodents, though they have historically been regarded as pests for occasionally taking poultry and rabbits from farms.