Where Do Weasels Live In North America?

Weasels are small, sleek mammals that live across North America. Weasels can squeeze into small openings and are skillful hunters. Weasels are also prey to larger carnivores, so to survive, they must be vigilant and cautious.

There are ten species of weasels, and three of them are native to North America. The long-tailed weasel is the largest and most common species, followed by the short-tailed weasel and the least weasel. All three species in North America are pretty similar, and no matter which part of North America they live in, their habitat is also very similar.

To find out where and how weasels live, please keep on reading.

Are weasels dangerous to pets?  What do they eat?  Please find out more in this article I wrote.

Where Do Weasels Live In The United States?

We can find long-tailed weasels in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and New Mexico in the United States. Short-tailed weasels live in northwestern and northeastern states and can also be found in Alaska.  Short-tailed weasels also live in the area around the Great Lakes. The least weasel can be found in central and southern states.

To survive, weasels need a good source of food, water, and shelter. If weasels can find these three things, then weasels can easily thrive.

The usual habitats for weasels are woods, forests, grasslands, and moors. Their natural habitat is decreasing rapidly, so they are more often found nearer human settlements, causing damage to farmers.

Numerous cases have been reported where weasels have killed hens on farms. The weasel population in the United States is stable, but increasing farmlands and decreasing prey could cause the number of people to reduce drastically. Areas, where weasels live could potentially become places without a weasel population.

Weasels near farms can also be very useful. They feed on common pests such as rats and mice, and weasels will also kill snakes and lizards.

The size of the territory belonging to weasels is usually between 30-80 acres. When food is less available in winter, some weasels will increase their environment to 300 acres.

The weasel holds huge territories for an animal so small, although the density in these locations is relatively low.

If you want to know which mustelids live in North America, click here for an article I wrote.

All three previously mentioned weasel species also live in Canada. They are widespread across the country, even in the colder, more northern parts. Weasels can be found in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia.

The long-tailed weasel is native to southern areas of British Columbia, the Prairies, Quebec, Ontario, and New Brunswick. In Canada, they can mainly be found in forests and tundra, but they can also be found in other locations, including marshes, meadows, and woodlands. All those locations have a permanent water source to be adequate for weasels.

Short-tailed weasels live in the tundra and colder northern parts of the country than the other two species. The least weasels are widespread and can be found almost everywhere.

Canada is a large country with fewer inhabitants per square mile. That enables wild animals, including weasels, to live in large territories. Unlike the United States, weasels in Canada are rarely present around human settlements. This also means they can divide the region between themselves with less overlap.

Do you want to know why meerkats stand up and look around?  Find out here

Where Do Weasels Live During The Day?

Weasels use dens located in hollow trees that have two entrances. Multiple entrances enable weasels to escape from unwanted visitors and access the shelter from different directions if in danger.

Dens can also be located under a pile of rocks or a similar natural formation. Although weasels are more than capable of digging, they generally use burrows made and abandoned by other animals, such as prairie dogs.

Weasels fill their dens with grass, feathers, and other soft materials to keep them warm and make them comfortable to raise their young. The holes have a chamber about 2 feet (0.61 m) from the narrow entrance. Rooms are usually 1 foot wide and accommodate several young weasels.

Weasels do not need permanent dens like some other mammals. They often steal a hole from their prey and temporarily move in. Weasels also cache food in those dens to eat later. 

During the day, they spend most of their time resting in their dens.  Interestingly, their metabolism is two times faster while resting than in other animals, which are two times bigger. Snakes and hawks prey on weasels, so they must be cautious and stay hidden.

Sometimes it is possible to see weasels hunting during the day. This usually occurs when food sources are limited in the area—for predators as small as a weasel, wandering around when highly visible is quite dangerous.

A weasel’s activity in the daytime also depends on the climate and the season. In northern parts of the continent, where days are longer in the summer, they will hunt more during the day.

Weasels are active all year round. In winter, long-tailed and short-tailed weasels change their fur color from brown to white. Blending into the environment is essential for a small animal that needs to feed daily.

Prairie dogs kiss each other when meeting.  Find out why in this article I wrote.

Where Do Weasels Live During The Night?

Weasels are nocturnal animals. When awake, they are very active and spend their time hunting, eating, and storing food later. Weasels can eat half of their body weight in a single day. Unlike some other mammals, they must eat often, sometimes eating up to ten times a day.

 Weasels cannot store fat in their bodies and cannot live from that in times of food shortage.

There is a reason that weasels do not store fat. They hunt mice, rabbits, rats, and voles during the night. Weasels also eat eggs, frogs, and smaller birds. Their body shape enables them to get into tight openings where they can grab their small prey.

This is especially useful during winter when they must extract prey from dens. There are no bird eggs, frogs, or similar animals in the winter for weasels to catch, so they depend on rodents hidden in caves beneath the snow.

Have you wondered if you should feed badgers in your garden?  Find out in this article I wrote.

To catch prey, weasels bite the backside of an animal’s neck until it dies. They are very silent when moving and can come close to unsuspecting prey.

Owls and foxes are a weasel’s natural enemies. Weasels must be especially vigilant when roaming outside their hiding places during the night. The seasonal color change of their fur is an advantage here. In northern parts, nights are much longer during winter, so weasels have more time to search for prey.  When searching for food, weasels can cover distances longer than 2 miles (3.22 km).

Want to know which wildlife lives in tree holes?  Find out here.

Do Weasels Live In Family Groups?

Weasels prefer to live and hunt alone, although they tolerate other weasels during mating. Males and females may even hunt together during mating season and after the females give birth.

Mating season is between March and June; depending on prey availability, they can mate up to three times a year. Females take care of their babies until they are grown. Weasels start hunting on their own when they are about two months old. Soon after, they move away from the adult female.

Weasels have large litters with up to 8 young. Females hunt with their young until they mature. They grow up fast, and groups of weasels can sometimes be seen.  However, they are a group of young with an adult female rather than a group of adults.

Long-tailed weasels are a bit different when it comes to breeding. They mate in mid-summer, but the implantation is delayed until spring.

Male weasels often hold territories that overlap with female parts, although same-sex domains do not happen. Males have more significant pieces than females.

During mating season, male long-tailed weasels mate with multiple females, and fights between males searching for females are common.

Weasels are fierce and very aggressive toward other animals, even bigger ones. They will not tolerate other weasels and will sometimes attack each other. Same-sex attacks are common, but sometimes, opposite-sex attacks can occur. This usually happens when the prey availability is low and their territories overlap.

Weasels are the smallest species of carnivore in the world.  Their highly aggressive behavior compensates for their size to scare off their enemies.

Want some tips for watching deer?  Here are some of my favorites.