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| A slender, long-bodied mammal (13.5"-17.5") with short legs and a well-furred tail about half the length of the body. Head is small and flattened, the ears are short and rounded, and the small eyes are beady. Two color phases: in summer, dark brown upperparts and yellowish white underparts, with a white chin. The winter coat is paler, and occasionally, all white with a black tail tip. Long-tailed weasels are found throughout the U.S. and Mexico, and the southern parts of Canada. They live in a variety of habitats but prefer woodlands, thickets, and brush fencerows. Their home is a shallow burrow, usually taken over from a mole or mouse. These weasels are suspicious and inquisitive, and continually explore their surrounding. They hunt both day and night but are more active at night. They are extremely aggressive and often attack animals larger than themseves. They feed entirely on animals, primarily rodents; their body shape helps them enter burrows and pursue their prey. These weasels are also preyed upon by larger mammals, owls, and snakes and they are used to some extent for fur by humans. |
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