Mustelid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mustelidae Temporal range: 15–0Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Early Miocene – Recent
A Long-tailed weasel
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Superfamily:	Musteloidea
Family:	Mustelidae G. Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
Type genus
Mustela Linnaeus, 1758
Subfamilies
Lutrinae (otters) Melinae (European badgers) Mellivorinae (honey badgers) Taxidiinae (American badgers) Mustelinae (weasels, tayra, wolverines, martens, polecats) Note ambiguity about classification at the section Systematics.

A European otter swimming

Mustelids are a large family of meat-eating mammals. They belong to the family Mustelidae, which is part of the animal group called Carnivora.

This is the biggest family of mammals, with many different kinds of animals. They range from tiny weasels that hunt mice to powerful wolverines that can take down much larger prey. Mustelids live in many different places, called habitats. For example, otters spend most of their lives in water. But one type of weasel lives in the cold Arctic regions.

Meet the Mustelids: A Diverse Family

Mustelids are known for their long, slender bodies and short legs. They are very active and often hunt alone. Many mustelids are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night.

Well-Known Mustelid Animals

Here are some of the most famous animals in the mustelid family:

• Ferrets
• Badgers
• Ratels (also known as Honey badgers)
• Martens
• Minks
• Polecats
• Sables
• Stoats
• Otters

Ferrets: From Hunter to Pet

One special kind of mustelid is the ferret. People have tamed ferrets and used them for hunting for a very long time. Today, ferrets are mostly kept as pets. Because a ferret's body is long and thin, some people jokingly call it a "tube rat."

Mustelid Subfamilies: Otters and More

Scientists often group mustelids into two main subfamilies. One group is the Lutrinae, which includes all the otters. The other group is the Mustelinae, which includes all the other mustelids like weasels, badgers, and martens.

Images for kids

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  A fossil skull of Sthenictis from the American Museum of Natural History.

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  The skeleton of a black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes).

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  A detail from Leonardo da Vinci's painting Lady with an Ermine, showing an ermine (a stoat in its winter coat).

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  A family tree showing how different mustelid species are related.

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  A timeline showing when different mustelid groups separated from each other over millions of years.

See also

In Spanish: Mustélidos para niños