| Amazon weasel | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Neogale |
| Subgenus: | Grammogale |
| Species: | N. africana |
| Binomial name | |
| Neogale africana (Desmarest, 1818) | |
 | |
| Amazon weasel range | |
| Synonyms | |
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TheAmazon weasel (Neogale africana), also known as thetropical weasel, is a species ofNew World weasel native toSouth America. It was first identified from a museum specimen mislabelled as coming fromAfrica, hence the scientific name.[2]
Originally described in the genusMustela, a 2021 study reclassified it into the genusNeogale along with two other formerMustela species, as well as the two species formerly classified inNeovison.[3]
The largest of the three species of South American weasel, Amazon weasels measure 43 to 52 cm (17 to 20 in) in total length, including a tail 16 to 21 cm (6.3 to 8.3 in) long. They have a typical body form for weasels, with a long, slender, torso and short legs and ears. They have short fur which varies from reddish to dark brown on the upper body, and is pale orange-tan on the underparts. A stripe of fur the same colour as that on the upper body runs down the centre of the chest and throat. The whiskers are short and the soles of the feet almost hairless. Females have three pairs of teats.[2]
Amazon weasels are known to inhabit theAmazon basin in north-centralBrazil, northernBolivia and easternPeru andEcuador.[4] However, the full extent of their range is unknown, and they probably also inhabit southernColombia,Venezuela andthe Guyanas. The region is covered bytropical rainforest, and, while detailed habitat preferences are unknown, the weasel has mostly been recovered near rivers.[1][2] The Amazon weasel exhibits a unique scale-dependent pattern of habitat selection, favoring specific microhabitats characterized by varying vegetation density and prey availability, which is crucial for its survival in tropical and subtropical forests.[5]
Two subspecies are recognised:[2]
The Amazon weasel is rarely seen and little is known of its habits. They eatrodents and othersmall mammals,[citation needed] and have been reported to construct burrows in thestumps of hollow trees.[6] They have been found from sea level to 1,400 m (4,600 ft),[4] and have been reported to swim inrivers orestuaries, sometimes far from the shore.[7]
The Amazon weasel is considered aData Deficient species because scientists know little about them.[8] Their population is unknown[2] and they have only been registered anywhere 24 times (as of July 2024).[4] An Amazon weasel had never been filmed until 2024, when some coffee producers captured a short video of an individual inBolivia as part of acitizen science monitoring program.[4] Despite the extremely small number of observations, Amazon weasels are listed as aLeast Concern species on theIUCN Red List of Threatened Species because scientists believe they still have a sizable population living in theAmazonian forest.[8] It is not known whether this species can handle anthropogenic disturbances in the environment[8] and their numbers may drop significantly in the future due to thedeforestation of the Amazon rainforest.[2]
