Patagonian Weasel [1] ( lat. Lyncodon patagonicus ) is a species of carnivorous mammal of the Mustelidae family. The species was first mentioned in an article by Sims Covington, who sailed with Charles Darwin aboard the Beagle ship.
| Patagonian weasel |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Gender: | Lyncodon Gervais , 1845 |
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| International scientific name |
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Lyncodon patagonicus ( Blainville , 1842) |
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It inhabits the pampas of Patagonia in western Argentina and southern Chile .
The length of the body is 30–35 cm, the tail is 6–9 cm. The average weight of an adult animal is 225 g on average. The body is very elongated, and the limbs are short. It has very small ears, fully covered with fur. Medium-long hairline, rare and rather coarse. The hair on the back is grayish-brown, with white tops. The top of the head is white, on the sides of the head and on the shoulders there is a wide white stripe. Abdomen and limbs are dark brown.
Patagonian weasel is active at dusk and at night. The individual section of the male overlaps several sections of the females. The paraanal glands are poorly developed, during protection (being cornered) they do not use them, but raises the coat on the neck on end. Enemies are unknown.
Patagonian weasel leads a solitary lifestyle, creating pairs only for the duration of the breeding season. To date, almost nothing is known about the propagation of Patagonian weasels. It is noticed that only the female takes care of the offspring.
Patagonian weasel, like other small predators, plays a role in regulating the number of rodents ( tuco-tuco , guinea pigs ) and other small vertebrates. Sometimes these weasels are kept on estansii to fight rats.
