Japanese weasel

Japanese weasel Characteristics and Morphology

Slender silhouette. The entire body is brownish-red, with varying shades depending on the individual. Males and females differ in body length.
The head is round. The ears are small and not pointed. The dark brown color around the nose is distinctive. The torso is slender. Has webbing between the toes. The legs appear short. The tail is somewhat thick and bushy. Has webbing between the toes.
The Japanese weasel and the Siberian weasel look very similar. The key to distinguishing them is the length of the tail; if the tail length is more than half the length of the body, it is a Siberian weasel. The body color of the Japanese weasel is brownish-red, while the Siberian weasel is slightly lighter brown. For more details, the Ministry of the Environment has compiled points on how to distinguish them.

Male

Males and females differ in body size by about 10cm, with males being larger.

Female

Females are smaller than males, not reaching 30cm.

Japanese weasel Ecology

Habitat

Mainly inhabits watersides such as rivers and lakes.

Food

Mainly eats animal matter such as mice, birds, and amphibians.

Life Cycle

Breeds from spring to summer, with the female raising the young.

Japanese weasel Photos

Japanese weasel Photos are introduced.
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Japanese weasel Behavior

Japanese weasel Information

Naming

The origin of the scientific name "itatsi" represents the Japanese name "Itachi". Because it is a species endemic to Japan, Japanese is used in the scientific name.

Japanese weasel Found Locations