(Redirected from Mustela felipei)
'Colombian Weasel' (''Mustela felipei'') is a species of
weasel from
South America, especially
Colombia, but some specimens have been found in northern
Ecuador.
It is a
carnivore, sometimes attacking domestic animals like
chickens. Because of that, it is often killed by farmers. It is also killed because the weasels are associated with local
superstitions. The population appears to be in severe decline, labeled as a species in critical danger by the Colombian government, but it has not been included in the
CITES international list of endangered species.
This
weasel lives in the mountain forests of
Andes, from 1500 to 2000 meters above sea level. The climate is subtropical. It has solitary habits and is not often seen.
References
★ Izor, R. J. y N. E. Peterson. 1985. Notes on South American weasels. Journal of Mammalogy 66: 788–790.
★ IUCN. 2004. 2004 IUCN Red list of threatened species. The IUCN species survival commission. IUCN. The World Conservation Union. Gland.
[2005-08-31]
★
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