Pictures and facts about the Colombian weasel

As of the mid nineties, just 5 specimens of the Colombian Weasel (Mustela felipei) were recognized. They were found in West Colombia and also in parts of North Ecuador (Andes). The Colombian Weasel is labelled as riparian, and this means, living near water or a water-course, fact is, many individuals were acquired/sighted near bodies of water at elevations of 1700 to 2700 meters. There are of course exceptions, but truly exceptions at that, one recent discovery was from a place far from water. Speaking of the five specimens, they had been found at the high lands of Western Colombia, and these areas were heavily exploited, deforestation-wise. A specimen in the distant past was found in the upper Suaza (it's a river) where the body of water possesses stretches of currents mixed in with "peaceful" pools (and when I say mixed, interrupted is what it means here).

The eating inclinations of the Colombian Weasel: generally speaking, they eat up to forty percent of the body mass on a daily basis. The typical diet consists of : mammals, insects and birds. It is a hypothesis (or assumption) of some researchers/experts that Colombian Weasels are in fact aquatic, then it goes without saying that fish are part of their foods. The Colombian Weasel is basically a carnivore, lest you get confused, they have been known to attack chickens, and because of this, farmers attacked them in return.

At present, the Colombian Weasel is now labelled as 'endangered', with very few individuals been seen in the recent years. Specimens had been discovered in places at elevations of 5740' and 8900', and in case you do not know it, these are altitudes where typical cloud forests are present.

Interesting fact: THESE weasels have been killed in the past, because of local superstitious beliefs.