The American mink and the extinct sea mink were commonly included in this genus as Mustela vison and Mustela macrodon, respectively, but in 1999 they were moved to the genus Neovison. Among those that do not are the three species of ermine, the polecats, the ferret, and the European mink. Of the 16 extant species currently classified in the genus Mustela, 10 have "weasel" in their common names. However, in technical discourse and in American usage, the term "weasel" can refer to any member of the genus, or to the genus as a whole. This usage is retained in British English, where the name is also extended to cover several other small species of the genus. The English word "weasel" was originally applied to one species of the genus, the European form of the least weasel ( Mustela nivalis). Their range spans Europe, North America, much of Asia and South America, and small areas in North Africa. They do, on the other hand, eat large numbers of rodents. Weasels feed on small mammals and have from time to time been considered vermin because some species took poultry from farms or rabbits from commercial warrens. Their tails may be from 34 to 52 mm ( 1 + 1⁄ 4 to 2 in) long. They have long, slender bodies, which enable them to follow their prey into burrows. Least weasels vary in length from 173 to 217 mm ( 6 + 3⁄ 4 to 8 + 1⁄ 2 in), females being smaller than the males, and usually have red or brown upper coats and white bellies some populations of some species moult to a wholly white coat in winter. In the UK, the term "weasel" usually refers to the smallest species, the least weasel ( M. nivalis), the smallest carnivoran species. The family Mustelidae, or mustelids (which also includes badgers, otters, and wolverines), is often referred to as the "weasel family". Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender bodies and short legs. The genus Mustela includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and European mink. Weasels / ˈ w iː z əl z/ are mammals of the genus Mustela of the family Mustelidae.
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