- Common name
- Weasel
- Dialect name
- Fuin
- Scientific name
- Martes foina
- Type
- Mammal
Description
The Weasel is a carnivore in the Mustelidae family, measuring about 45-50 cm in length, with a tail that adds another 25 cm and weighing about 2 kg. Its physical appearance is characterized by short, thick brown fur on the back, which tends to lighten toward the muzzle, forehead and cheeks. The ears are rounded and edged with white, while the paws have dark brown "stockings." One of its most distinctive features is the white or yellowish spot on the throat and neck, which extends to the belly and continues toward the inside of the front legs.
Compared with the common marten, the marten is distinguished mainly by its white throat spot, which is more extensive and extends toward the belly, while in the marten the spot is yellowish and less extensive. In addition, the marten is slightly smaller in size, its snout and legs are shorter, and its overall appearance is more slender.
This animal is mostly solitary and lives in forested areas, mixed forests and mountains. Its diet includes small mammals, birds, insects and occasionally fruit. The marten is an excellent climber and moves nimbly in trees, making it a very versatile predator.
Scientific Classification
- Domain
- Eukaryota
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Carnivora
- Family
- Mustelidae
- Genus
- Martes
- Species
- foina (Erxleben, 1777)
- Scientific name
- Martes foina
Preserved specimen
Taxidermied specimen without mount; good condition. It is displayed in the middle valley diorama of the museum's Eco-Fauna Room.
The marten measures 45-50 cm, to which 25 cm of tail should be added, for an average weight of a couple of kilograms. The study of fossil remains belonging to this species has revealed a gradual but steady decrease in size throughout its evolution. The fur is short and thick: on the back it is brownish in color, with a tendency to lighten on the snout, forehead and cheeks: the ears are rounded and edged with white, while the legs have dark brown "stockings." On the throat and neck is a characteristic white or, more rarely, yellowish blotch that extends to the belly and continues to the middle of the inside of the front legs. It differs from the common pine marten in having a white and elongated throat spot toward the belly (rather than yellowish and less extensive), somewhat smaller size, shorter legs and muzzle, smaller ears and eyes, and generally slenderer appearance
Cataloging
- SIRBeC
- 7s060-00126
