Weasel At The Fort

Just because it is called the Least Weasel, doesn't make it any less weasely.

Click on the link above and you may find yourself looking face-to-face with an adorably cute little, elongated-mouse. That's one way to look at it. Another way to say it is "an adorably cute little ferocious killer".

Wikipedia claims this is the "smallest carnivoran", which I think means no smaller animal hunts other animals. Anything smaller would be forced to eat insects or vegetation, due to laws of physics.

While out watering our gardens, we heard the vociferous chirp of a small animal. The sound reminded me of aggressive chipmunks in campgrounds, that try to rouse you to breakfast so they can get there "cut" sooner.

The noise was persistent enough that I became curious. As I came closer to the sound, I was able to see motion, on the ground, through branches of a Cascara tree.

Rounding the tree, I clearly saw a flailing young rabbit, which was the one making the loud chirp. Around his neck was a smooth brown neckscarf, which presently evaporated like chocolate quicksilver into the underbrush. The rabbit flailed a bit, but lay motionless not long after.

Within 2 feet was another young rabbit, laying, still-breathing but wounded, near the one that had been struggling with the weasel. Wikipedia affirmed that weasels will "overkill" and attempt to store the excess food for lean times. This appeared to be the case here.

I stood still for a few minutes, and the weasel began poking his head out of the underbrush. First here, then there, then somewhere else. He had many little lookout spots, spaced about 3 to 6 feet apart, that he used randomly to evaluate the scene. The speed with which he reached each lookout was astounding, literally appearing at a new hole before I'd gotten accustomed to the notion that he'd left the previous one. Moving three or four feet, through tunnel, in less time than it takes to say "accustomed".

I tried to hold really still to encourage him to act naturally. He became somewhat bold, a few times venturing completely out of his tunnels and onto the surface, allowing me to view his entire diminutive body. Since he never stayed out long enough to go back to his kills, I got the sense that he didn't trust the coast was truly clear.