| Amazon weasel | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Mustela |
| Species: | M. africana |
| Binomial name | |
| Mustela africana Desmarest, 1818 | |
 | |
| Amazon weasel range | |
TheAmazon weasel (Mustela africana), is a type ofweasel. It is native toSouth America. It is also called thetropical weasel. It was first identified from a museum example that was not labeled well. The museum label said it was from Africa. That is why the scientific name isMustela africana.[2]
The Amazon weasel is 43 to 52 cm (17 to 20 in) in length. Itstail is 16 to 21 cm (6.3 to 8.3 in) long. They have a long, slender,torso and short legs and ears. They have shortfur. It is reddish to dark brown on the upper body, and is pale orange-tan on the underparts. Thewhiskers are short and there is almost no hair on the bottom of the feet.[2]
The Amazon weasel live in theAmazon basin in northernBrazil and easternPeru andEcuador. They may also live in southernColombia,Venezuela and theGuyanas, as well as northernBolivia. The region it lives in is covered by tropicalrainforest.[2][3]
The Amazon weasel is rarely seen. Little is known about its habits. They eatrodents and other small mammals. They have been reported to makeburrows in the stumps of hollow trees.[4] They have been found fromsea level to 1,250 m (4,100 ft). They have been reported to swim inrivers orestuaries.[2] Sometimes, they swim far from theshore.[5]
