- Colombian Weasel
Taxobox
name = Colombian Weasel
status = EN
status_system = iucn2.3
image_width =
image_caption =
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis =Mammal ia
subclassis =Theria
infraclassis =Eutheria
ordo =Carnivora
familia =Mustelidae
subfamilia =Mustelinae
genus = "Mustela "
species = ""'M. felipei"
binomial = "Mustela felipei"
binomial_authority = Izor and de la Torre,1978 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 inColombia , but it may also occur in nearbyEcuador .Eisenberg, J. F, and K. H. Redford. 1999. "Mammals of the Neotropics - The Central Neotropics. Vol. 3." Chicago University Press, Chicago. ISBN 0-226-19542-2] Both its scientific and alternativecommon name honours themammalogist Phillip "Don Felipe" Hershkowitz. [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]It has a head and body length of about 22 cm (8,6 in), and a tail of about 11 cm (4,3 in). The upperparts and tail are blackish-brown, while the underparts are orange-buff. The fur is fairly long.
It appears to be largely restricted to
riparian habitats at an altitude of 1700-2700 m (5600-8900 ft). There is extensivedeforestation within its small range, and with only five known specimens, it is probably the rarestCarnivora inSouth America .Novak, R. M. 1999. "Walker's Mammals of the World." 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. ISBN 0801857899] It is therefore consideredendangered byIUCN . [IUCN2006|assessors=Mustelid Specialist Group|year=1996|id=14026|title=Mustela felipei|downloaded=19 March 2008]Very little is known about its behavior, but it has several features, among them extensive toe webbing, which suggests it has a
semiaquatic lifestyle.References
* Izor, R. J. y N. E. Peterson. 1985. Notes on South American weasels. Journal of Mammalogy 66: 788–790.
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