Colombian weasel

Colombian weasel
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Subclass:	Theria
Infraclass:	Eutheria
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Mustelidae
Subfamily:	Mustelinae
Genus:	Mustela
Species:	M. felipei
Binomial name
Mustela felipei Izor and de la Torre, 1978
Colombian weasel range

Colombian weasel (Mustela felipei), also known as Don Felipe's weasel, is a very rare species of weasel only known with certainty from the departments of Huila and Cauca in Colombia^[2] and nearby northern Ecuador (where only known from a single specimen).^[1] Both its scientific and alternative common name honours the mammalogist Philip "Don Felipe" Hershkovitz.^[3]

It has a head and body length of about 22 cm (8,6 in), and a tail of about 11 cm (4,3 in).^[2] The upperparts and tail are blackish-brown, while the underparts are orange-buff. The fur is fairly long.^[4]

It appears to be largely restricted to riparian habitats at an altitude of 1700-2700 m (5600-8900 ft). There is extensive deforestation within its small range, and with less than 10 known specimens,^[1] it is probably the rarest carnivoran in South America.^[4] It is therefore considered vulnerable by IUCN.^[1]

Very little is known about its behavior, but it has several features, among them extensive toe webbing, which suggests it has a semiaquatic lifestyle.^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Emmons, L. & Helgen, K. (2008). Mustela felipei. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 21 March 2009. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of vulnerable
2. ^ ^{a b} Eisenberg, John Frederick; Redford, Kent Hubbard (1999). Mammals of the Neotropics: The Central Neotropics: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil (vol. 3). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 624. ISBN 9780226195421. http://books.google.com/books?id=p2MDAzCeQQoC&source=gbs_navlinks_s. 
3. ^ Izor, R. J., and L. de la Torre. 1978. A New Species of Weasel (Mustela) from the Highlands of Colombia, with Comments on the Evolution and Distribution of South American Weasels. Journal of Mammalogy. Vol. 59(1): 92-102
4. ^ ^{a b c} Novak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. ISBN 0801857899

• Izor, R. J. y N. E. Peterson. 1985. Notes on South American weasels. Journal of Mammalogy 66: 788–790.