Conservation Status: Common.
Hertfordshire: Patchy distribution. Likely to be under recorded.
Protection: No legal protection in Britain.
General Information: Britain's smallest carnivore. They are found in a wide range of habitats including urban areas, pasture and woodland. They hunt small rodents, their small size enabling them to search through the tunnels of mice and voles. Bird’s eggs and young rabbits may also be taken. Like stoats they are frequently observed darting across the road but are easily identified by the lack of the black tip to the tail.
Threats: Not under threat. Controlled by gamekeepers. Trapping is unlikely to have any long term effect since weasel populations are very resilient and they naturally suffer high mortality. Food shortage may cause local extinctions although recolonisation of abandoned areas is generally good.
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