Everything about Mustelidae totally explained
Mustelidae or
Mustelids (from Latin
mustela,
weasel), commonly referred to as the
weasel family, is a family of
carnivorous mammals. The Mustelidae is a diverse family and the largest in the order Carnivora, at least partly because it has in the past been a catch-all category for many early or poorly differentiated
taxa.
Variety
The Mustelidae in general are
phylogenetically relatively primitive and so were difficult to classify until genetic evidence started to become available. The increasing availability of such evidence may well result in some members of the family being moved to their own separate families, as has already happened with the
skunks, previously considered to be members of the mustelid family.
Mustelids vary greatly in size and behavior. The
least weasel isn't much larger than a mouse. The
giant otter can weigh up to 76 lb (34 kg). The
wolverine can crush bones as thick as the femur of a
moose to get at the marrow, and has been seen attempting to drive
bears from kills. The
sea otter uses rocks to break open shellfish to eat. The
marten is largely
arboreal, while the
badger digs extensive networks of tunnels, called
setts. Some mustelids have been domesticated. The
ferret and the
tayra are kept as pets, or as working animals for hunting or vermin control. Others have been important in the
fur trade. The
mink is often
raised for its fur.
As well as one of the most species-rich families in the order
Carnivora, mustelidae is one of the oldest. Mustelid-like forms first appeared about 40 million years ago, roughly coinciding with the appearance of
rodents. The direct ancestors of the modern mustelids first appeared about 15 million years ago.
Characteristics
Within a large range of variation, the mustelids exhibit some common characteristics. They are typically small animals with short legs, short round ears, and thick fur. Most mustelids are solitary, nocturnal animals, and are active year-round.
Mustelids, with the exception of the
sea otter, have
anal scent glands that produce a strong-smelling secretion the animals use for sexual signaling and for marking territory. The most developed of these scent glands are found in skunks (
Mephitinae), which were moved into a new family,
Mephitidae, following
DNA analyses .
Most mustelid reproduction involves
embryonic diapause. The
embryo doesn't immediately implant in the
uterus, but remains dormant for a period of time. No development takes place as long as the embryo remains unattached to the uterine lining. As a result, the normal gestation period is extended, sometimes up to a year. This allows the young to be born under more favorable environmental conditions. Reproduction has a large energy cost and it's to a female's benefit to have available food and mild weather. The young are more likely to survive if birth occurs after previous offspring have been weaned.
Mustelids are predominantly carnivorous, although some will sometimes eat vegetable matter. While not all mustelids share an identical
dentition, they all possess teeth adapted for eating flesh, including the presence of shearing
carnassials. Although there's variation between species, the most common dental formula is
Relationship with humans
Several mustelids, including the mink, the
sable (a type of marten) and the ermine (stoat), boast exquisite and valuable
furs and have been accordingly hunted since prehistoric times. Since the early middle-ages the
trade in furs was of great economic importance for northern and eastern European nations with large native populations of fur-bearing mustelids, and was a major economic impetus behind Russian expansion into
Siberia and French and English expansion in
North America. In recent centuries
fur farming, notably of mink, has also become widespread and provides the majority of the fur brought to market.
One species, the
sea mink (Neovison macrodon) of New England and Canada, was driven to
extinction by fur trappers around the same time that the
passenger pigeon was declining in the late 19th century. Its appearance and habits are almost unknown today because no complete specimens can be found and no systematic contemporary studies were conducted.
The sea otter, which has the densest fur of any animal, narrowly escaped the fate of the sea mink. The discovery of large populations in the North Pacific was the major economic driving force behind
Russian expansion into
Kamchatka, the
Aleutian islands and
Alaska, as well as a cause for conflict with
Japan and foreign hunters in the
Kuril Islands. Together with widespread hunting in California and British Columbia, the species was brought to the brink of extinction until an international moratorium came into effect in 1911.
Today some mustelids are threatened for other reasons. Sea otters are vulnerable to oil spills and the indirect effects of overfishing; the
black-footed ferret, a relative of the
European polecat, suffers from the loss of American
prairie; and
wolverine populations are slowly declining because of habitat destruction and persecution.
One mustelid, the
domestic ferret (
Mustela putorius furo), has been domesticated since ancient times, originally for hunting rabbits and pest control. In recent years its popularity as a household
pet has increased.
Family
FAMILY MUSTELIDAE (55 species in 24 genera)
Further Information
Get more info on 'Mustelidae'.
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