What is Weasel?
{{automatic taxobox | image = Mustela nivalis -British Wildlife Centre-4.jpg | image_caption = [[Least weasel]] (''Mustela nivalis'') | taxon = Mustela | authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]] | type_species = ''[[Stoat|Mustela erminea]]'' | type_species_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]] | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = {{Plainlist| * ''[[Mustela africana]]'' * ''[[Mountain weasel|Mustela altaica]]'' * ''[[Ermine|Mustela erminea]]'' * ''[[Steppe polecat|Mustela eversmannii]]'' * ''[[Colombian weasel|Mustela felipei]]'' * ''[[Long-tailed weasel|Mustela frenata]]'' * ''[[Japanese weasel|Mustela itatsi]]'' * ''[[Yellow-bellied weasel|Mustela kathiah]]'' * ''[[European mink|Mustela lutreola]]'' * ''[[Indonesian mountain weasel|Mustela lutreolina]]'' * ''[[Black-footed ferret|Mustela nigripes]]'' * ''[[Least weasel|Mustela nivalis]]'' * ''[[Malayan weasel|Mustela nudipes]]'' * ''[[European polecat|Mustela putorius]]'' * ''[[Siberian weasel|Mustela sibirica]]'' * ''[[Back-striped weasel|Mustela strigidorsa]]'' * ''[[Egyptian weasel|Mustela subpalmata]]'' }} | range_map = Mustela range.png | range_map_caption = ''Mustela'' range }} [[File:Mustela frenata.jpg|thumb|right|230px|North American Long-tailed Weasel]] '''Weasels''' are the [[genus]] '''''Mustela''''', part of the [[Mustelidae]] [[Family (biology)|family]]. The genus includes the weasels, [[polecat]]s, [[stoat]]s, [[ferret]]s and [[mink]]s. Weasels are small, active [[predators]], long and slender with short legs. Their body shape is [[adapted]] to going down [[burrow]]s after [[prey]] such as [[rabbits]]. There are 17 species, and they live all over the world except for [[Antarctica]] and [[Australasia]]. Weasels vary in length from 173 to 217 mm (6.8 to 8.5 in).<ref name=Weasel>{{cite web|url=http://www.mammal.org.uk/species-factsheets/Weasel|title=The Weasel|publisher=The Mammal Society|accessdate=18 January 2013|archive-date=2 February 2013|archive-url