musteline combines multiple phylogenetically related species, but are very different adaptive characteristics, body structure and way of life.
Most of them are small, although there are medium-sized.Their body mass ranging from 100 grams to 40 kg and a length of 15 to 150 cm. Body massive, long and very flexible.
weasel family, or rather its representatives, developed different scalp.Coat color varied.There are solid, and the spotted and striped.There are species in which the hair is darker bottom and top lighter.Seasonal changes in these animals, and the density of its splendor.
musteline: representatives
This family is divided into three subfamilies: martens, skunks, badgers and otters.
Let's start with the first ...
subfamily marten
- Lusk is the small animals with a thin elongated body.It is found where most rodents.
- Ermine.It looks like a weasel, but he is more.Another distinguishing feature - a black tail tip.Propagated by the fur animal weasel family once a year.
- Solongo.It is larger than an ermine.As a rule, the representatives of this species inhabit the treeless mountains and plains of Central Asia, East and China.Mate in winter and spring.Duration of pregnant females about 33 days.
- speakers.Fur animal with a dense body, which reaches a length of 39 centimeters.End faces white, and around the eyes, "wearing" a black mask.Tail usually brighter back.
- European and American mink.These animals live near a body of water.They had a great dive, swim.Mate, usually in the spring.
- Ferrets.There are three varieties: the steppe, black and black-footed.There is another kind - African ferret - a form of black albinoidnaya.The largest of them all - the steppe.
- dressing.Fur animal, living in the steppes, deserts and semi-deserts.
- forest and stone marten.The fur of these animals is very thick and beautiful.In stone it is light, and in the forest - dark brown.
- Sable.Outwardly, it resembles a marten, only the tail shorter.Distributed by the animal in the territory of the former USSR.
- Ilka - this animal is larger than the previously described species.Mass reaches 8 kg.
- Hartha beast with a strongly elongated body.Wool its smooth, rough, shiny.
- Tyra - inhabitant of forests of South and Central America and southern Mexico.
- Grisons.They exist two types: small and Grisons Grisons.They live in wooded and open areas.
- Zorrilla lives in Africa
- Spotted ferret lives in North Africa
- Wolverine - small animal with a massive body, powerful, broad paws.The weight is 19 kg.
honey badger - the animal belongs to the monotypic subfamily.
This major animal body length reaches 77 cm. Body flattened, massive and thick and short legs.
musteline subdivided into subfamily badgers.
Representatives:
- Average badger.Distributed in the former Soviet Union.The body length reaches 90 cm, and the tail - 24 cm.
- American badger.The body length of up to 74 cm and weight 10 kg.
- Swine badger is common in South Asia.It lives on the plains and in the mountains.Body weight up to 14 kg, and the length - 70 cm.
- Khorkova badger is the common name of three distinctive animals.They are united in the genus Helictis.They all have thick fur.They live in South Asia.
musteline subdivided into subfamily skunks.
Representatives:
- striped skunk lives from southern Canada to northern Mexico.The body length of no more than 38 cm, and the tail - 44 cm. The weight does not exceed 2.5 kg.
- spotted skunk is common in Central America and the United States.Weight of the animal, not more 1 kg.
- Patagonian skunk lives within South America.The length is 49 cm.
- Belonosov skunk.Almost all of the body is covered with hair black, and the tail, back and end faces above white.
There are a subfamily of otters, they are: common otter, as well as Canadian, cat, Indian and others.
After reading our article, you briefly acquainted with the amazing family of martens.
