colombian weasel ( mustela felipei ) , also known as the don felipe 's weasel , is a very rare species of weasel only known with certainty from the departments of huila and cauca in colombia and nearby northern ecuador ( where only known from a single specimen ) .

both its scientific and alternative common name honours the mammalogist philip " don felipe " hershkovitz .

it appears to be largely restricted to riparian habitats at an altitude of 1,100 to 2,700 m ( 3,600 to 8,900 ft ) .

there is extensive deforestation within its limited distribution within the northern andes of colombia and ecuador , and with less than ten known specimens , it is probably the rarest carnivoran in south america .

it is considered vulnerable by the iucn .

it is the second smallest living carnivore on average , being only slightly larger than the least weasel ( mustela nivalis ) and slightly smaller than the ermine or stoat ( m. erminea ) .

the upperparts and tail are blackish-brown , while the underparts are orange-buff .

colombian weasel

colombian weasel how did the colombian weasel become endangered ? colombia , colombian weasel what habitat / biome does the colombian weasel live in ? works cited urltoken the colombian weasel became endangered because they would chase chickens on farmers territory and the farmers would chase them back and sometimes kill one the colombian weasels habitat is colombia and possibly ecuador they like to have there habitat near water , streams , and lakes . urltoken 3 . urltoken 4 . urltoken 5 . urltoken
has colombian weasel mustela felipei been overlooked in collections ? | hector e . ramírez - chaves - urltoken
* * * as of 1996 , only five specimens of the colombian weasel were known . three of them were originally mis - labeled as the long - tailed weasel , mustela frenata , before the colombian weasel had been identified as a separate species .
the colombian weasel is approximately 22cm ( 9 inches ) long , and one weighed 138g ( 5oz ) .
there is extensive deforestation in the area where the colombian weasel has been found ; however , it is not yet established whether this is having an adverse effect on the weasel .
the colombian weasel is one of the species that live in the tropical andes biodiversity hotspot ( cons . intl . ) .
the colombian weasel ( mustela felepei ) has only recently been discovered and has never been studied in the wild . two british and three colombians are hoping to instigate a detailed study of a colombian weasel population , its habitat and the effects of human activity on them .
distribution and habitat modelling for colombian weasel mustela felipei in the northern andes | josé f . gonzález - maya and santiago burneo - urltoken
until they were identified as a separate species in 1996 , several colombian weasels were mistaken for the long - tailed weasel ( mustela frenata ) .
aka … water weasel , don felipe weasel ( after philip hershkovitz who made numerous contributions to south american fauna in the 1950s ) .
there have been no studies of reproduction in colombian weasels . however , in temperate
in english - language popular culture in particular , the term ' weasel ' is associated with devious characters . a cartoon shown on cartoon network is entitled ' i am weasel ' , whose main character is a weasel . two pokémon are based on the weasel , buizel and floatzel .
the colombian weasel lives in the mountain forests of the andes , from 1500 to 2000m ( 4921 to 6562ft ) over sea level . the climate is subtropical .
because this species is known from so few specimens and has not been observed in the wild , there is very little known about colombian weasel behavior . like other
in a paper entitled “phylogeographic patterns of mitochondrial differentiation in the long - tailed weasel , mustela frenata “ , produced at the 87th annual meeting of the american society of mammalogists , it was stated that “the first mitochondrial sequences of the colombian weasel ( mustela felipei ) , used in outgroup comparisons suggest that the colombian weasel might prove a closer sister taxon to the long - tailed weasel ( mustela frenata ) than the traditional sister taxon , the american mink ( neovison vison ) .
not much information about the diet of the colombian weasel is known . however , weasels in general are carnivores who eat up to 40 % of their body weight each day . their typical diet includes small mammals , birds , and insects . because it is suspected that the colombian weasel may be aquatic , fish might also be a component of their diet .
the females are called ' bitch , doe or jill ' and males ' buck , dog , hub or jack ' . a colombian weasel group is called a ' boogle ' .
due to the lack of information about this rare weasel , it is assumed that , being a carnivore , the animal has a similar diet to its weasel cousins , i . e . small mammals , insects , etc . however it’s also suspected that , because of its webbed feet , the colombian weasel might also include fish in its diet . habitat
the weasel pre - breeding season population is estimated to be 450 , 000 adults .
as it has webbing between its toes , scientists think that this weasel may be aquatic .
patagonian weasel ( lyncodon patagonicus , found in western argentina and central and southern chile ) .
there have been no reports of mating systems in colombian weasels . in the related and well - studied species ,
female colombian weasels nurture their newborn young and take care of them for 2 to 3 months . in other ,
* * * the colombian weasel is probably the rarest carnivore in south america . as of 1989 , virtually nothing was known about its distribution , its status or its ecology . ( schreiber et al . 1989 )
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 .
the weasel ( mustela nivalis ) is the smallest member of the mustelid family and britains smallest carnivore .
they are pale / yellowish brown in colour although they can be darker or redder in different parts of their range . sometimes their tail has a dark brown tip and almost always their muzzle has some white colouration . habitat siberian weasels are found in the tundra , mountains and forested areas throughout east asia . they are solitary and mainly nocturnal but sometimes they hunt during the day . diet siberian weasels are ferocious and efficient predators . they mainly feed up on rodents , lizards , small birds , eggs and insects . breeding siberian weasels breed annually in spring and after a gestation period of 28 - 30 days , 2 - 12 ( average 5 ) young are born in a nest . they are taken care of by the female and when they reach a month old their eyes open . they are weaned at 2 months old and they reach sexual maturity at approximately 2 years of age . predators predators of siberian weasels are large owls and birds of prey . subspecies there are four subspecies of siberian weasel : mustela sibirica subhemachalana mustela sibirica moupiensis mustela sibirica canigula mustela sibirica hodgsoni interesting facts siberian weasels are also known as : siberian mountain weasel kolinsky himalayan weasel siberian weasel fur makes the finest water colour or oil paint brushes and is especially sought after by artists . the kolinsky sable - hair brush is produced using the winter fur of the male siberian weasel , not sable . similar animals back - striped weasel colombian weasel least weasel japanese weasel long - tailed weasel malayan weasel mountain weasel patagonian weasel
one colombian weasel weighed 138 g ( 5 oz ) . known specimens have been collected in areas close to water at elevations of 1750 and 2700 m ( 5740 ' and 8900 ' ) , an altitude where cloud forests predominate . one specimen was collected in a region of the upper suaza river valley where the river contains stretches with torrential currents which are interrupted by quiet pools ( schreiber et al . 1989 ) . however , the most recent collection was in rugged terrain but not near water . webbing between the toes and its ( mostly ) riparian distribution suggests that the colombian weasel is aquatic . five specimens of the colombian weasel have been found in the highlands of the cordillera central of western colombia and in the andes of northern ecuador . there is extensive deforestation in the area where it has been found ; however , it is not yet established whether this is having an adverse effect on the weasel .
as of 1996 , only five specimens of the colombian weasel were known . the colombian weasel has been found in western colombia as well as the andes of northern ecuador . colombian weasels are considered to be riparian - to live near the bank of a body of water or a watercourse . several specimens have been collected in areas close to water at elevations of 1750 and 2700 m ( 5740 ' and 8900 ' ) , an altitude dominated by cloud forests . one collection was in the upper suaza river valley , where the river contains stretches with torrential currents which are interrupted by quiet pools . however , one of the most recent specimens was found in an area of rugged terrain that was not near water .
colombian weasels are likely to be important predators of small animals in the riparian habitats they occupy . little is know of mutualisms or parasitisms in this species .
colombian weasels may help humans by controlling rodent and insect pest populations in the areas they occupy . their skins are also used for coats and other clothing products .
cats , owls , foxes and birds of prey will all try to kill weasels , although a weasel will fight hard to defend itself .
since the discovery of the colombian weasel , only five specimens have been obtained from western colombia ( provinces of huila and cauca ) and northern ecuador ( nowak , 2005 ) . the species was thought to be endemic to the cordillera central of colombia , but another specimen was found from andean ecuador ( schreiber
have broader bodies . an order of magnitude difference in size exists between the smallest and largest mustelid species . the smallest species is the least weasel (
* * * inhabitants of areas adjoining sites where the colombian weasel was being studied were asked which mammals they were familiar with . almost all farm - dwelling people questioned had seen weasels , and usually thought of them as pests , since most encounters involved predation upon chickens or domestic guinea pigs ( fawcett et al . 1996 ) .
project update : 25 / 3 / 98 . the team were the first to study the recently discovered colombian weasel in the wild . the project led on to a research project on another species of weasel by a local student and an environment education poster about cloudforest mammals was initiated by the leader and iucn specialist group . it will be distributed in colombia and possibly ecuador to raise awareness and generate feedback from wardens and communities on the rarer species ( d . fawcett in litt . 1998 ) .
african striped weasel ( poecilogale albinucha , found in southern africa ) . larivère and jennings ( 2009 ) noted that , given recent data indicating that the african striped weasel is the sister taxon to the zorilla ( ictonyx striatus ) ( koepfli et al . 2008 ) , it should probably be placed in the genus ictonyx as well .
weasels have light brown fur on their backs and their underparts are creamy / white . the weasel is smaller than the stoat and lacks the small white patches under their chin and throat . in many weasel species , populations living at high latitudes moult to a white coat with black fur at the tip of the tail in winter . weasels have sharp eyesight and excellent hearing .
there has been extensive deforestation in the area where this particular weasel has been found but , to date , it hasn’t been established whether this is causing an adverse effect on it or not .
almost nothing is known of colombian weasel ' s habitat preferences ( schreiber et al . 1989 ) , but its naked foot soles with extensive interdigital webbing and records in areas of riparian habitats suggest that the species is adapted to water - edge environments ( ramírez - chaves & patterson 2014 ) . the few specimens have been obtained from between 1 , 525 and 2 , 700 m , an altitude range where cloud forests predominate .
at the time of the review of the family mustelidae by larivère and jennings ( 2009 ) , the iucn listed seven mustelid species as endangered ( giant otter , marine otter , southern river otter [ lontra provocax ] , sea otter , hairy - nosed otter [ lutra sumatrana ] , european mink , and black - footed ferret ) ; five as vulnerable ( nilgiri marten [ martes gwatkinsii ] , marbled polecat , asian small - clawed otter [ aonyx cinereus ] , smooth - coated otter , and colombian weasel [ mustela felipei ] ) ; and four as near threatened ( hog badger , wolverine , eurasian otter , and mountain weasel [ mustela altaica ] ) . of the remaining species , 35 were listed as least concern and six as data deficient . in fact , so little is known about most mustelid species that reliable status assessments are difficult . the colombian weasel ( mustela felipei ) was described only in 1978 ( izor and de la torre 1978 ) and may be the rarest carnivore in south america ( ramírez - chaves et al . 2012 ) .
colombian weasels communicate with vocalizations , vision , touch , and probably with scent cues . individuals of this species stand on their hind legs to search for others and emit a high - pitched sound to alert relatives in times of danger .
the ermine , least weasel , and long - tailed weasel ( mustela frenata ) completely change their coats between summer and winter , with a dramatic change from brown to white in the northern parts of the range and at high elevations ( in other areas , the summer coat is dark ) . interestingly , ermine and long - tailed weasels retain the black tail tip in the winter , which experiments have suggested may focus the attention of potential predators away from the body as a weasel makes its escape . japanese weasels ( mustela itatsi ) replace their dark brown summer coat with a much paler yellowish one in the winter .
izor , r . , l . de la torre . 1978 . a new species of weasel ( mustela ) form the highlands of colombia , with comments on the evolution and distribution of south american weasels . .
one colombian weasel weighed 138 g ( 5 oz ) . known specimens have been collected in areas close to water at elevations of 1750 and 2700 m ( 5740 ' and 8900 ' ) , an altitude where cloud forests predominate . one specimen was collected in a region of the upper suaza river valley where the river contains stretches with torrential currents which are interrupted by quiet pools ( schreiber et al . 1989 ) . however , the most recent collection was in rugged terrain but not near water .
the weasel may travel up to 2 . 5 kilometres on a hunting expedition . weasels are good climbers and will often raid birds nests , taking the eggs and young . when ratting , its courage is even greater than the stoats .
colombian weasels are recognized as vulnerable with a decreasing population trend by the iucn . very little is known about their life history and population status , but their rarity and the fact that many of the areas they are thought to inhabit have been severely impacted by deforestation suggests that populations are threatened .
. smaller carnivores that are restricted to small habitat fragments may also be at risk to predation by larger carnivores that can more easily move among fragments . hunting has been a problem for some species , while others , particularly tropical mustelids , do not seem to be declining as a result . endangered mustelids include : colombian weasels (
adult specimens have averaged 22 cm ( 8 . 7 in ) in length , not counting the 11 . 5 cm ( 4 . 5 in ) tail , and weighed 120 to 150 g ( 4 . 2 to 5 . 3 oz ) . colombian weasels are the second smallest living carnivore , being only slightly larger than least weasels (
weasels feed on small mammals and in former times were considered vermin since some species took poultry from farms , or rabbits from commercial warrens . certain species of weasel and ferrets , have been reported to perform the mesmerizing weasel ‘war dance’ , after fighting other animals , or acquiring food from competing creatures . in folklore at least , this dance is particularly associated with the stoat . mice and voles make up 60 % – 80 % of their diet , however , they also eat rats , frogs and birds . their prey is killed with a sharp bite to the back of the neck . prey is usually taken on the ground .
main characteristics siberian weasels are a large species of weasel . they have a body length between 30 and 40 . 5 cms ( 12 - 15 . 9 inches ) , a tail length between 18 and 25 . 5 cms ( 7 - 10 inches ) and they weigh approximately 57 g ( 2 oz ) .
morphology : most mustelids are small to medium - sized carnivores with long bodies and short limbs ( some , such as the wolverine and badgers , have a stockier body shape ) . the least weasel , which is not only the smallest weasel but also the world ' s smallest carnivore , may weigh in at as little as 25 g when fully grown . sexual size dimorphism in mustelids can be striking , with males often twice the size of females . the largest mustelid is the sea otter , which can reach 45 kg , and on land , the wolverine , which can reach 18 kg . mustelids have five toes on each foot and often strong claws . their ears can be pointed forward or swiveled to the side , but not folded back .
only six specimens of colombian weasel , from five localities in four provinces or departments , have been obtained : from western colombia ( departments of chocó - valle del cauca , huila and cauca ) and northern ecuador ( province of napo ) . the most northern is from 4°51 ' n , and the most southern from 0°25 ' n . recent re - examination of neotropical mustela specimens in many collections revealed no new m . felipei , re - affirming the conventional view of the rarity of the species ; many published accounts contain records in error or for which the reliability cannot be judged ( rámirez - chaves et al . 2012 ) . it is however possible that the species has been under - recorded because , in this part of the andes , weasels in general are extremely challenging to identify in the field : this species is morphologically very similar to long - tailed weasel m . frenata ( rámirez - chaves et al . 2012 ) . tirira and gonzalez - maya ( 2009 ) traced records from 1 , 525 to 2 , 700 m a . s . l . ; a record from a lower altitude was considered to be an error of identification by rámirez - chaves et al . ( 2012 ) .
weasels vary in length , but generally , male weasels measure around 20 – 22 centimetres long and have a tail length of 6 . 5 centimetres and female weasels measure around 15 – 18 centimetres long and have a tail length of 4 . 5 centimetres . the average weasel weighs about 198 grams ( 7 ounces ) , however , males usually weigh up to 115 grams and females up to 59 grams .
) 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 ) .
each weasel has a territory of 4 – 8 hectares ( 1 hectare is equal to 2 football pitches ) . male territories are larger than females and they may overlap with one another . the size of the territory depends on the food supply ; where there is plenty there is no need to hunt for food far and wide . the individual territories are marked with strong - smelling secretions from the anal scent glands .
neither the stoat or weasel is in any real danger of extinction in the uk , they are however threatened by hunting , habitat loss , poisoning and both often get run over on the country lanes . they do tend to live around farms as the hedgerow habitat and plentiful food supply suits them . this often leads them into conflict with farmers , especially problematic are stoats who are very able at snatching chickens , eggs as well as game birds .
colombian weasels are very rare , and very little is known about them . they are found in riparian areas , near rivers and along the banks of other natural water sources . only six localities have been confirmed in colombia and ecuador . the few specimens that have been obtained were collected from altitudes ranging between 1 , 750 and 2 , 700 m where cloud forests predominate . one specimen was collected in the upper suaza river valley ( cueva de los guacharos national park ) . this part of the suaza river contains a mixture of violent currents and quiet pools .
the weasel family is made up of meat - eaters . when searching for food , they can cover a large area . they aren ' t afraid of prey larger than themselves . in general , members of this family live alone . females are always smaller than the males . the males also have a larger territory than the females . while female lives in an area where she can find enough food , the male tries to make his territory large enough to accompany lots of females .
the mustelidae ( from latin mustela , weasel ) are a family of carnivorous mammals , including the otters , badgers , weasels , martens , ferrets , minks and wolverines . mustelids are diverse and the largest family in the order carnivora . the internal classification still seems to be rather unsettled , with rival proposals containing between two and eight subfamilies . one study , published in 2008 , questions the long - accepted mustelinae subfamily , and suggests that mustelidae consist of four major clades and three much smaller lineages .
species , fertilized eggs develop for approximately eight days before suspending development for 7 . 5 months . after this time , the embryos resume development , and 6 to 8 young are born 24 days later . all together , the gestation period lasts 200 to 300 days . newborn colombian weasels are blind and hairless . they measure approximately 55 mm in length and weigh up to 2 g each . they quickly develop a soft fur , which is replaced by adult fur after 3 weeks . by week 5 , their teeth have come in . their eyes open by 6 weeks of age , at which point weaning begins .
habitat : mustelids can be found in a great diversity of habitats , including marine ( marine otter [ lontra felina ] and sea otter ) , rivers ( north american river otter [ lontra canadensis ] and spotted - necked otter ) , temperate forest ( european pine marten [ martes martes ] and american marten [ martes americana ] ) , dry open woodlands ( african striped weasel ) , and grasslands ( black - footed ferret [ mustela nigripes ] ) . some mustelids have very broad habitat preferences . for example , ermine and least weasels can be found from grasslands to woodlands and honey badgers from forests to deserts .
justification : colombian weasel is listed as vulnerable under c2a ( i ) , inferring a population size of at least 1 , 350 mature individuals from the current known range and a plausible population density , and assuming a continuing decline in population due to ongoing deforestation ( acknowledging the species may potentially tolerate some level of forest degradation ) . the range is sufficiently extensive to make it highly likely that no one subpopulation holds over 1 , 000 mature individuals . in addition , it is plausible that the species might meet the threshold for vulnerable under d1 ( a total population of 1 , 000 mature individuals or fewer ) if the density is only three - quarters of the arbitrary figure given in the ' population ' section ( and again assuming that the current range is not larger ) . this listing may be slightly evidentiary . indeed , a categorisation of endangered under c2a ( i ) is not out of the question , especially as no subpopulation may hold more than 250 mature individuals ; however , equally , the total population size might also be severely underestimated , especially if the range is larger than currently documented ( implying a larger population than speculated here ) . on balance , it is unlikely that this species ' s the true range has been fully documented so far , especially for a species so difficult to identify by typical mammal survey methods . hence , vulnerable seems to be a more appropriate listing , pending re - assessment when more information becomes available .
colombian weasel occurs in a limited geographic area where deforestation is rampant ( nowak 2005 , etter and van wyngaarden 2000 ) ; a significant proportion of the estimated range of the species has been deforested for agriculture and illicit crops . between 1990 and 2010 , forest cover net loss within the species´s known extent of occurrence ( eoo ) reached 10 % overall , and was 13 % within its suitable habitat ( areas within its eoo ) between 1 , 500 and 2 , 700 m a . s . l . ) ; for the last potential distribution model for the species ( ramírez - chaves and mantilla - meluk 2009 ) a net forest loss of 26 % was estimated for the period of 1990 - 2010 . forest lost estimates before 1990 indicate even a larger net loss ( etter and van wyngaarden 2000 ) . currently , there is only 36 % of forest cover within the eoo , 35 % within the altitudinally suitable eeo , and 25 % within the last modelled distribution . these deforestation trends are likely to continue given the historical drivers still operating in the area . the extent of the species ' s association with forest is , however , unknown , so the relationship of these deforestation statistics to the species ' s population trend is also unclear . for example , the former could overestimate the latter if the species is not particularly tied to forest , or if densities are higher in degraded and edge areas than in pristine forest ; or they could be an underestimate if the species is tied to a particularly rapidly declining microhabitat .
weasels , european mink , and polecats ( mustela , 17 species , various species found across much of north america , europe , and asia ; in africa , the european polecat [ mustela putorius ] is present in morocco and the egyptian weasel [ mustela subpalmata ] is found in egypt ; ermine [ m . erminea ] have been introduced to new zealand and least weasels [ m . nivalis ] have been introduced to new zealand , malta , crete , the azores , and apparently são tomé island ) . the domestic ferret is believed to be descended from the european polecat and is often referred to as m . putorius furo , but steppe polecats ( m . eversamanii ) may also be among the ancestors of the domestic ferret .
mustelids vary greatly in size and behaviour . the least weasel is not much larger than a mouse , while the giant otter can measure up to 1 . 7 m ( 5 ft 7 in ) in length and sea otters can exceed 45 kg ( 99 lb ) in weight . the wolverine can crush bones as thick as the femur of a moose to get at the marrow , and has been seen attempting to drive bears away from their kills . the sea otter uses rocks to break open shellfish to eat . the marten is largely arboreal , while the badger digs extensive networks of tunnels , called setts . some mustelids have been domesticated : the ferret and the tayra are kept as pets ( although the tayra requires a dangerous wild animals licence in the uk ) , or as working animals for hunting or vermin control . others have been important in the fur trade —the mink is often raised for its fur .
some other mustelids , such as the sable ( martes zibellina ) and american mink , are still highly valued for their fur commercially and african striped weasel skins are used in traditional ceremonies in africa . although american mink are still trapped in the wild , many millions are also bred on farms in the united states , europe , and , more recently , china . the escape of american mink from fur farms has resulted in the establishment of wild populations in europe and asia , which are believed to have negative consequences for competitors , such as european mink , as well as for native prey , such as water voles in britain . in new zealand , ermine and least weasels were introduced deliberately in the 1880s in an effort to reduce populations of introduced european rabbits . ermine have thrived , not only feeding on rabbits but also devastating local fauna , especially flightless birds . today , ermine are present in virtually all forested areas in new zealand , although least weasels are rare , presumably due to the scarcity of the smaller prey on which they specialize ( voles are absent and feral house mice are the only rodents smaller than 50 g ) .
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izor and de la torre ( 1978 ) suggested that m . africana and m . felipei form a monophyletic group . youngman ( 1982 ) placed m . felipei in subgenus grammogale ; abramov ( 2000 ) placed it in subgenus cabreragale .
one specimen was collected in cueva de los guacharos national park ( ramírez - chaves et al . 2012 ) . purace national park is also close to a collecting site ( schreiber et al . 1989 ) . in ecuador the species has not been recorded in any protected area ( tirira and gonzález - maya 2009 ) . potentially , according to models , the species could be potentially present in 10 protected areas in colombia ( ramírez - chaves and mantilla - meluk 2009 , burneo et al . 2009 ) and 14 in ecuador ( burneo et al . 2009 ) ; but no confirmed records exist from any of these areas ( ramírez - chaves et al . 2012 ) . determining the conservation needs is hampered by the minimal information on the species ' s natural history . it is therefore a high priority to find and study an extant population , particularly its habitat use and threats ( if any ) . at least five field efforts in six localities in colombia ( two adjacent to previous records ) failed to detect the species ( ramírez - chaves and patterson 2014 , j . f . gonzález - maya pers . comm . 2015 ) . moreover , natural habitat at three of the five known localities have been severely fragmented in recent years .
gonzález - maya , j . f . , emmons , l . , helgen , k . & arias - alzate , aaa . 2016 .
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five specimens have been found in the highlands of the cordillera central of western colombia near san agustin , huila province and popayan , cauca province , and in the andes of northern ecuador .
burton & pearson 1987 , cons . intl . , emmons & feer 1997 , fawcett et al . 1996 , infonatura , iucn 1994 , iucn 1996 , iucn 2000 , iucn 2003a , iucn 2004 , izor & de la torre 1978 , nowak 1999 , nowak & paradiso 1983 , schreiber et al . 1989
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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 .
: these weasels have been killed in the past , because of local superstitious beliefs .
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it’s probably the rarest carnivore in south america and virtually nothing was known about its distribution , its status or its ecology prior to 1989 .
it’s listed on the iucn red list of threatened species as endangered ( en ) and it’s considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild .
these weasels are considered to be riparian , which means that they probably live near the banks of a natural course of water .
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has been observed from western colombia ( provinces of huila and cauca ) to northern ecuador . the species was thought to be endemic to the cordillera central of colombia until another specimen was found in andean ecuador . within this potential distribution there are 34 protected areas ( 20 in colombia and 14 in ecuador ) . there are three confirmed localities for the species in each for colombia and ecuador ; all lie within 1 , 123 to 2 , 700 m elevation .
occurs in colombia from serrania de los paraguas in the limits between the chocó and valle del cauca departments ( 4°51′n , 76°25′w ) through the northern andes of ecuador in mera in the province of pastaza ( 1°27′s , 78°05′w ; schreiber et al . , 1989 ; wozencraft , 2005 ) . according to the international union for conservation of nature and natural resources , there are likely to be serious threats to the protection of this species and they proposed several core regions to protect to ensure its survival . the iucn currently recognizes the species as vulnerable at a b2ab level ( ii , iii , iv , iucn red list of threatened species , 2013 ) .
(
iucn red list of threatened species .
, 2013 ;
mustela
, 2013 ; hollister , 1914 ; izor and de la torre , 1978 ; llano , et al . , 2010 ; mckelvey , et al . , 2007 ; mesa - gonzalez , 2006 ; nowak , 2005 ; rageot and albuja , 1994 )
(
mustela
, 2013 ; alberico , 1994 ; anderson and martinez - meyer , 2003 ; bernal , 2004a ; eisenberg and redford , 1999 ; hollister , 1914 ; izor and peterson , 1985 ; llano , et al . , 2010 ; mesa - gonzalez , 2006 ; youngman , 1982 )
. the upperparts and tail are blackish - brown , the underparts are orange - buff , and the fur is quite long . little else is known about its physical appearance , though research indicates it has webbed feet to help provide stability in semi - aquatic habitats .
( bernal , 2004b ; eisenberg and redford , 1999 ; emmons and helgen , 2013 ; hollister , 1914 ; izor and de la torre , 1978 ; llano , et al . , 2010 ; mckelvey , et al . , 2007 ; mesa - gonzalez , 2006 ; nowak , 2005 ; rageot and albuja , 1994 ; schreiber , et al . , 1989 )
range basal metabolic rate 0 . 69 to 0 . 76 cm3 . o2 / g / hr
, there is a monogamous pair bond , the male is attentive to the female - especially during weaning - and watches the young while she hunts for herself . both parents take care of the offspring for two to three months . however , in other species of
, males compete for access to mating with multiple females and do not participate in the care of young .
( eisenberg and redford , 1999 ; hijmans , et al . , 2005 ; hollister , 1914 ; hunter , 2011 ; izor and peterson , 1985 ; izor and de la torre , 1978 ; nowak , 2005 ; rageot and albuja , 1994 ; schreiber , et al . , 1989 ; youngman , 1982 ;
mustela
, 2013 ; eisenberg and redford , 1999 ; hijmans , et al . , 2005 ; hollister , 1914 ; hunter , 2011 ; izor and peterson , 1985 ; izor and de la torre , 1978 ; nowak , 2005 ; rageot and albuja , 1994 ; schreiber , et al . , 1989 ; youngman , 1982 )
( bernal , 2004a ; emmons and helgen , 2013 ; hijmans , et al . , 2005 ; hunter , 2011 ; llano , et al . , 2010 ; mckelvey , et al . , 2007 ; mesa - gonzalez , 2006 ; nowak , 2005 ; rageot and albuja , 1994 ; schreiber , et al . , 1989 ; youngman , 1982 )
( anderson and martinez - meyer , 2003 ; bernal , 2004b ; bernal , 2004a ; hollister , 1914 ; hunter , 2011 ; izor and peterson , 1985 ; llano , et al . , 2010 ; mckelvey , et al . , 2007 ; schreiber , et al . , 1989 ; youngman , 1982 )
( hollister , 1914 ; hunter , 2011 ; izor and peterson , 1985 ; izor and de la torre , 1978 ; llano , et al . , 2010 ; nowak , 2005 ; rageot and albuja , 1994 ; schreiber , et al . , 1989 ; youngman , 1982 )
( anderson and martinez - meyer , 2003 ; bernal , 2004a ; hijmans , et al . , 2005 ; izor and de la torre , 1978 ; llano , et al . , 2010 ; mckelvey , et al . , 2007 ; rageot and albuja , 1994 )
( bernal , 2004a ; eisenberg and redford , 1999 ; izor and peterson , 1985 ; izor and de la torre , 1978 ; llano , et al . , 2010 ; rageot and albuja , 1994 ; schreiber , et al . , 1989 )
cousins . because of their webbed feet and occurrence in riparian habitats , they are assumed to eat fish and other aquatic organisms , in addition to terrestrial small mammals and insects .
( alberico , 1994 ; anderson and martinez - meyer , 2003 ; bernal , 2004b ; bernal , 2004a ; eisenberg and redford , 1999 ; emmons and helgen , 2013 ; izor and de la torre , 1978 ; llano , et al . , 2010 ; mckelvey , et al . , 2007 ; mesa - gonzalez , 2006 ; rageot and albuja , 1994 ; schreiber , et al . , 1989 ; youngman , 1982 )
little is known about predation on or anti - predator adaptations in this species . however , their coloration likely helps them blend in with the environment .
( bernal , 2004b ; bernal , 2004a ; eisenberg and redford , 1999 ; hollister , 1914 ; izor and peterson , 1985 ; izor and de la torre , 1978 ; llano , et al . , 2010 ; mesa - gonzalez , 2006 ; rageot and albuja , 1994 ; schreiber , et al . , 1989 ; youngman , 1982 )
(
mustela
, 2013 ; alberico , 1994 ; anderson and martinez - meyer , 2003 ; eisenberg and redford , 1999 ; emmons and helgen , 2013 ; hijmans , et al . , 2005 ; hollister , 1914 ; mckelvey , et al . , 2007 ; mesa - gonzalez , 2006 ; nowak , 2005 ; rageot and albuja , 1994 ; youngman , 1982 )
( emmons and helgen , 2013 ; hijmans , et al . , 2005 ; hollister , 1914 ; hunter , 2011 ; llano , et al . , 2010 ; mesa - gonzalez , 2006 ; schreiber , et al . , 1989 ; youngman , 1982 )
( alberico , 1994 ; anderson and martinez - meyer , 2003 ; emmons and helgen , 2013 ; hijmans , et al . , 2005 ; mesa - gonzalez , 2006 ; youngman , 1982 )
kirsten wesner ( author ) , university of wisconsin - stevens point , christopher yahnke ( editor ) , university of wisconsin - stevens point , tanya dewey ( editor ) , university of michigan - ann arbor , shaina stewart ( editor ) , university of wisconsin - stevens point .
living in the southern part of the new world . in other words , central and south america .
young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state ; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth / hatching . in birds , naked and helpless after hatching .
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror - image halves . animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides , as well as anterior and posterior ends . synapomorphy of the bilateria .
having markings , coloration , shapes , or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment ; being difficult to see or otherwise detect .
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature . endothermy is a synapomorphy of the mammalia , although it may have arisen in a ( now extinct ) synapsid ancestor ; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities . convergent in birds .
offspring are produced in more than one group ( litters , clutches , etc . ) and across multiple seasons ( or other periods hospitable to reproduction ) . iteroparous animals must , by definition , survive over multiple seasons ( or periodic condition changes ) .
the area in which the animal is naturally found , the region in which it is endemic .
referring to something living or located adjacent to a waterbody ( usually , but not always , a river or stream ) .
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator , from 23 . 5 degrees north to 23 . 5 degrees south .
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female .
2013 .
iucn red list of threatened species .
( on - line ) . accessed august 10 , 2013 at urltoken .
2013 .
mustela
( on - line ) . accessed august 18 , 2013 at urltoken .
anderson , r . , e . martinez - meyer . 2003 . modelling species’ geo - graphic distributions for preliminary conservation assessments : an implementation with the spiny pocket mice ( heteromys ) of ecuador .
bernal , e . 2004 . plan de desarrollo chivatá - boyacá . alcaldía municipal de chivatá .
emmons , l . , k . helgen . 2013 . iucn red list of threatened species .
hijmans , r . , s . cameron , j . parra , p . jones , a . jarvas . 2005 . very high resolution interpolated climate surfaces for global landareas .
hollister , n . 1914 . . descriptions of four new mammals from tropical america .
izor , r . , n . peterson . 1985 . notes on south american weasels . .
llano , j . , j . salazar , j . agudelo , a . perez , j . hernandez . 2010 . estado de conocimiento de la fauna silvestre en la juridiccion de corantioquia . corporacion autonoma regional del centro de antioquia .
mckelvey , k . , k . aubry , m . schwartz . 2007 . using anecdotal occurrence data for rare or elusive species : the illusion of reality and a call for evidentiary standards . .
mesa - gonzalez , e . 2006 . libro rojo de los mamíferos de colombia .
nowak , r . 2005 . walker’s carnivores of the world . pp . 300 - 355 in
. baltimore , usa and london , uk . : johns hopkins university press .
schreiber , a . , r . wirth , m . riffel , h . van rompaey . 1989 . weasels , civets , mongooses , and their relatives . an action plan for the conservation of mustelids and viverrids .
youngman , p . 1982 . distribution and systematics of the european mink mustela lutreola linnaeus .
to cite this page : wesner , k . 2014 .
mustela felipei
( on - line ) , animal diversity web . accessed july 09 , 2018 at urltoken
disclaimer : the animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students . adw doesn ' t cover all species in the world , nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe . though we edit our accounts for accuracy , we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts . while adw staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable , we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control .
this material is based upon work supported by the national science foundation grants drl 0089283 , drl 0628151 , due 0633095 , drl 0918590 , and due 1122742 . additional support has come from the marisla foundation , um college of literature , science , and the arts , museum of zoology , and information and technology services .
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kari pihlaviita added the finnish common name
andienkärppä
to
mustela felipei izor and de la torre , 1978
.
kari pihlaviita added the finnish common name
kolumbiankärppä
to
mustela felipei izor and de la torre , 1978
.
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afleet alex ( born may 9 , 2002 in florida ) is an american thoroughbred race horse who , in 2005 , won two of america 's classic races , the preakness stakes and the belmont stakes .

he is owned by the cash is king stable partnership , was trained by tim ritchey and was ridden by jeremy rose .

in twelve lifetime starts , alex won eight times ( six times in stakes , three times in g1 stakes ) , placed twice ( both in g1 stakes ) , and came in third once ( in the kentucky derby ) over 12 starts , for lifetime earnings of $ 2,765,800 .

afleet alex

alex ' s lemonade stand foundation and afleet alex have an important message : dream big . # preakness
following are photos of afleet alex and tapit taken on that beautiful may morning .
afleet alex was named in honor of his sire , northern afleet , and three of the children of his owners who shared the name or nickname “alex . ”
the owners of thoroughbred racehorse afleet alex invite alex ' s parents to set up a lemonade stand at the kentucky derby . a few weeks later , afleet alex goes on to win the preakness stakes despite a dramatic stumble , bringing more attention to alex ' s story .
watching from the stands , tim richey , afleet alex ' s trainer , feared the worst .
alex’s lemonade stand is a registered service mark of alex ' s lemonade stand foundation .
the training regimen of top kentucky derby candidate afleet alex is unlike that of most horses in north america .
in his racing career , afleet alex faced many obstacles . two heart - breakingly narrow losses and a lung infection
afleet alex is relatively early in a long stud career at gainesway , now run by antony beck following his father’s death in 2010 . afleet alex has the chance to match the output of his own sire , taylor made’s veteran northern afleet , who has what some might call a “sneaky good” résumé , with 6 percent stakes winners through 12 crops of racing age . afleet alex is northern afleet’s best offspring , but northern afleet also has sired champions amazombie and negligee , as well as multiple grade 1 winners evening jewel and teaks north .
afleet alex is outcrossed through five generations . he is a full brother to grade ii - placed stakes winner unforgettable max
that summer afleet alex won his first race at delaware park by 11 lengths and his second by 12 . ritchey immediately began charting a schedule of top races for alex .
afleet alex’s triumphant display in the 2005 belmont stakes came as a timely reminder of his potential , and perhaps what might have been . as far as performances in the belmont stakes , few matched afleet alex’s seven length demolition of a field .
ritchey said he does get some double takes in the mornings with afleet alex , who is currently training at churchill downs .
scrappy t responded by bounding sideways right into the path of afleet alex , who clipped his heels . somehow , afleet alex managed to get his left front leg under him as his right splayed out in front of him ; somehow , jockey jeremy rose stayed aboard . somehow , afleet alex was back in full flight within a few strides and strode away to win brilliantly .
chuck zacney will be watching the derby at the oaks turf club . one of afleet alex ' five owners , zacney had a great alex thrill last saturday when alex ' s son , 24 - 1 shot afleet again , won the withers stakes at aqueduct . zacney ' s cash is king stable happens to own afleet again , so that was not a vicarious thrill .
count kiaran mclaughlin , whose horse closing argument finished half a length in front of afleet alex in the derby but about 26 lengths behind him in the preakness , among alex’s great admirers .
the public seemed to agree . afleet alex was the favorite for the historic preakness stakes . the race seemed to unfold perfectly . jockey jeremy rose and afleet alex waited patiently toward the back of the pack , saving energy . then with just a nudge from rose , the colt unleashed a furious burst of speed at the top of the stretch . but just as afleet alex was sailing into the lead , another horse suddenly , unexpectedly shied outward , directly into afleet alex’s path . his legs tangled with afleet alex , who tripped and went to his knees . the colt’s nose was in the dirt , and rose seemed about to pitch forward to the ground .
lukas bids on a horse ' s confirmation . bloodlines are secondary . the colt just happened to be a son of afleet alex .
alex and the amazing lemonade stand , a children ' s book telling alex ' s story , is published . it was written by alex ' s parents , liz and jay scott , and illustrated by alex ' s aunt pam howard .
iotapa , winner of last week ' s clement hirsch at del mar , is the third grade 1 winner sired by champion afleet alex .
afleet alex has produced horses that seem to get better with age , and they can excel on any surface . photo : coglianese / nyra
afleet alex opened up his sophomore season with a stakes win at oaklawn park in the mountain valley stakes at 6f . prepping for the derby , ritchey sent afleet alex in the rebel stakes ( g3 ) and the arkansas derby ( g1 ) before his start in the derby .
soon after his retirement , cash is king announced a deal with gainesway farm in lexington , kentucky . prominent breeder and owner jess jackson , who purchased afleet alex’s dam maggy hawk , bought an interest in afleet alex’s breeding career and assisted cash is king partners in choosing gainesway .
with better racing luck , afleet alex might have been the first breeders’ cup juvenile / triple crown winner . the son of northern afleet finished second in the 2004 breeders’ cup juvenile behind wilko after a tough , wide trip . a year later in the kentucky derby , afleet alex was wide around both turns before shifting to the inside where he just missed by a length . the 2005 preakness showcased afleet alex’s athleticism when the colt was brought to his knees after clipping the heels of scrappy t in deep stretch after that colt ducked from the whip . despite the mishap , afleet alex gathered himself and powered to a 4 ½ length victory .
part of afleet alex ' s earnings and merchandising proceeds were donated to alex ' s lemonade stand , a fundraising effort for juvenile cancer research started by cancer patient alexandra scott that raised some $ 3 . 5 million in 2005 thanks to publicity generated by afleet alex . afleet alex ' s owners and trainer also visited juvenile cancer wards in louisville , baltimore and new york city prior to the colt ' s triple crown races . cash is king stable ' s activities on behalf of alex ' s lemonade stand were honored by the 2005 special eclipse award .
afleet alex ' s preakness victory was voted the “moment of the year” for 2005 by the national thoroughbred racing association . it also ranked # 54
afleet alex won his first two starts by a combined 23 ¼ lengths at delaware park . from there , he was pointed to graded stakes .
though she never met afleet alex , her daughter would have hugged him , scott said :
alex loved animals . shortly before she died , we went to a horse show and walked through the stables .
afleet alex resides at gainesway farm , and it was great seeing him again on a sunny , breezy afternoon the day before this year’s kentucky derby .
afleet alex ( left ) , with regular jockey jeremy rose up , takes a light jog alongside trainer tim ritchey on monday morning at churchill downs .
ritchey ' s playbook will be put to the ultimate test next month , when afleet alex meets the best of his generation in the kentucky derby .
helped by afleet alex , alex scott’s dream of raising $ 1 million to benefit pediatric cancer research has now exceeded $ 2 million . alex’s lemonade stand foundation has funded dozens of grants that are helping researchers fight childhood cancer . but even that is not the end of the story .
when the owners of afleet alex heard the story of alex scott and her lemonade stand , they thought of their friend john silvertand and his fight against cancer , and knew right away that they wanted to use the colt’s star power to benefit the cause of cancer research . chuck zacney , the managing partner , announced that every time afleet alex did well in a race , they would donate a portion of his winnings to alex’s lemonade stand . they also donated profits from the sale of afleet alex gear , and used the colt’s popular website and media interviews to promote alex’s lemonade stand . they even convinced the racetracks where afleet alex was appearing to sponsor alex’s lemonade stands . the kentucky derby , the preakness , and the belmont stakes all featured alex’s lemonade stands , spotlighted by nbc and espn . on belmont stakes day , 30 racetracks throughout the u . s . held stands in her name , raising tens of thousands of dollars .
children ' s hospital of philadelphia ( alex ' s hospital ) names its oncology day hospital the
alex scott day hospital .
ritchey trained afleet alex to one of the best 3 - year - old seasons of the previous decade , a campaign that came on the heels of triple crown runs from regional heroes funny cide in 2003 and smarty jones in 2004 , and he would add his own mark on the triple crown races . bred in florida by john martin silvertand , afleet alex was by multiple grade 2 winner northern afleet , at the time an unproven sire . afleet alex was a full brother to one of northern afleet’s few stakes - winning horses to that point , unforgettable max , both being out of the hawkster mare maggy hawk .
in the champagne , afleet alex missed the win by about a half - length to proud accolade ( yes it’s true ) . the breeders’ cup juvenile should have been an easy race for the colt , but afleet alex was out finished by longshot wilko ( awesome again ) by ¾ of a length . afleet alex finished the year with four wins and two seconds in six starts . he was ready to head down the road to the kentucky derby .
afleet alex ( truenicks , sro ) : conformation , left , and nearly falling before winning the 2005 preakness stakes ( gr . i , video ) .
chuck zacney , one of the owners of afleet alex , then a spirited 2 - year - old , was among those moved to contribute in 2004 .
i cannot say whether afleet alex is guided by the spirit of little alex scott . but i would have to say that i witnessed a miracle . that a 4 - year - old child dying of cancer started a charity
chuck zacney , managing partner of the cash is king syndicate , which owns afleet alex , said he has great confidence in the training route ritchey has taken .
we wanted to continue alex ' s work , but how would we keep people interested ?
said liz scott , her mother .
then [ racehorse ] afleet alex comes along and takes it to another whole level .
in the preakness , after angling his colt to the rail at the start , jeremy rose kept afleet alex well behind the pace . he made a bold move around the second turn while circling much of the field . when he was about to pass pacesetter scrappy t at the head of the stretch , scrappy t veered out directly in the path of the fast - moving afleet alex . afleet alex stumbled and nearly fell but miraculously recovered , regained his feet , and won going away .
afleet alex’s offspring aren’t noted as win - early types . he has 13 % lifetime two year old winners , which is average . his babies are slower developing types and although the occasional sprinter will crop up , shorter distances really aren’t their forte . afleet alex’s babies are most competitive at seven furlongs to 1 1 / 8 miles , and four of his offspring have won stakes races at classic distances , including travers hero afleet express . afleet alex’s progeny are at home on dirt , mud and to a lesser extent , turf and various synthetics . afleet alex is enjoying a resurgence in popularity . his son texas red won the breeders’ cup juvenile last year and looked like an excellent prospect for this year’s kentucky derby trail before he was injured .
three weeks later at the belmont stakes , along with tens of thousands of racing fans across the nation , i made a donation and enjoyed a glass of lemonade at alex’s lemonade stand . i could hardly wait to see what afleet alex would do next . he did not disappoint . i got goosebumps as afleet alex powered to the lead with a dramatic rush . as the courageous little horse sped past me on the way to a seven length victory , i shouted , “fly , alex , fly ! ” i’m not sure which alex i meant .
dancing afleet’s rapid improvement at delaware park in the past six weeks gave him another graded stakes winner , and she could develop into a top horse for afleet alex , although she has yet to be tested against the nation’s top 3 - year - old fillies .
afleet alex had his greatest accomplishment in what would be the final start of his career , the belmont stakes . the bay demolished a field of ten rivals , including kentucky derby winner giacomo , by seven lengths . was the rest of the field that bad or was afleet alex that good ? the colt’s final quarter of : 24 . 50 was the fastest since 1969’s hero arts and letters . secretariat got his last quarter in : 25 flat . his exploits earned afleet alex three year old championship honors .
stallion feature ; the “little superhorse , ” afleet alex : “scrappy t blew the turn and afleet alex ! jeremy rose almost fell out of the saddle ! a dramatic occurrence at the top of the stretch ! ” tom durkin couldn’t have called the almost catastrophic event in the 2005 preakness stakes ( g1 ) any better . afleet alex is likely best remembered for his preakness victory . the “little superhorse” went to his knees at the top of the pimlico homestretch , yet managed to gather himself , and in a flash , was five lengths in front of scrappy t . afleet alex went on to win the belmont stakes ( g1 ) in even more impressive fashion before retiring prematurely .
the kentucky derby could have easily had a different outcome had afleet alex not gotten blocked in on the rail and had instead been on the outside , but finished third behind 50 - 1 shot giacomo and closing argument , was not a bad result . tim ritchey sent jeremy rose and afleet alex to the preakness , in search of redemption .
afleet alex , why would you slam that back , when pete is offering seriously thought out , good advice ? why would you think afleex alex ' s fee will rise ? it could easily slump also . this is a very tricky game . to consider spending $ 40 , 000 on a stud fee , the mare needs to be worth $ 120 - 160k . if afleet alex ' s offspring do not run as expected , his fee will drop . he may fall eventually into the range where you could actually afford to buy a mare that would be justified in breeding to afleet alex .
coincidentally , the day before the preakness , afleet alex’s jockey , jeremy rose , said of the colt , “this horse will run on broken glass if i ask him . ”
it all happened so quickly , yet the horrific image of afleet alex nearly falling after clipping heels will remain embedded in the memory , forever teetering on the edge of disaster .
as the time approached for afleet alex to resume training , ritchey , 53 , decided he would toy with a philosophy he used years ago with a horse named general g .
also included in the afleet alex story is
alex ' s lemonade stand ,
started by 4 - year - old alexandra
alex
scott , who had been diagnosed with a form of juvenile cancer . prior to her death last august , she opened a lemonade stand to raise money for her hospital and for cancer research . it reached people all over the world , eventually raising close to $ 1 . 7 million . afleet alex ' cash is king stable partners , touched by the story , have donated a portion of the colt ' s earnings to alex ' s lemonade stand .
afleet alex came off the winter layoff to win a 6 - furlong race in an impressive 1 : 09 2 / 5 at oaklawn . two weeks later , on march 19 , he came back and ran the worst race of his life in the rebel . heading into the race , the owners wanted a high - profile jockey . though jeremy rose had ridden afleet alex for every race of his career , john velazquez , the nation’s top rider in 2004 , got the mount for the rebel stakes . afleet alex finished dead last .
afleet alex ' s owners had been modest when they said their horse was
pretty good .
their horse was invited to the kentucky derby in 2005 and the scotts were invited to set up a lemonade stand there .
just like that , alex ' s lemonade stand foundation ( alsf ) was on the world ' s stage .
afleet alex and jockey jeremy rose stumbled on the final turn of the preakness , miraculously afleet alex was able to regain his footing and go on to win exemplifying the true determination of a champion – getting back up and fighting , no matter what challenges lay ahead . this spirit has continued to be a core part of alex ' s lemonade stand foundation .
that same day , in saratoga springs , new york , a young thoroughbred horse won his first major race , the sanford stakes . his name was alex , too : afleet alex . it was clear from his impressive victory that afleet alex was no ordinary racehorse , but a potential champion . gifted with unusual stamina , intelligence , and athletic grace , the plucky little horse won races , a growing number of fans , and media attention .
in truth , breeders have never really warmed up to afleet alex , perhaps partly because of his rather unfashionable pedigree . afleet alex is the best of 72 stakes winners by his sire , northern afleet , a powerfully built miler who was a decent sire in the united states but a very good one on shuttle journeys to brazil , where he led the sire list in 2013 . afleet alex’s dam , maggy hawk , by the undistinguished sire hawkster , also produced his full brother , the stakes winner unforgettable max , and her dam was the grade 1 winner qualique , by hawaii , but the next dam was by the unfashionable sensitivo . none of those names was appealing to fashion - conscious kentucky breeders , and afleet alex , though well made , is not the most imposing individual . his stud career has suffered as a consequence .
afleet alex made his stakes debut on one of the toughest circuits for 2 - year - olds , at saratoga springs in new york . he won the sanford in stakes record time and offers reportedly as high as $ 2 million followed . cash is king had no intention of selling and turned down all offers . afleet alex followed his sanford with a win in the hopeful , also at saratoga . afleet alex closed his 2 - year - old season with two close second place finishes in the champagne at belmont park and the breeders’ cup juvenile .
afleet alex was sired by northern afleet from the prominent raise a native sire line . northern afleet had five career wins from 21 starts , including three graded stakes wins in california at distances from seven furlongs to 1 ½ miles . he was grade 1 placed in the malibu stakes at santa anita and the met mile at belmont park . afleet alex’s dam , maggy hawk , was out of the sire hawkster , who earned $ 1 . 5 million during his career with three grade 1 stakes wins . he also set the world record for 12 furlongs at santa anita .
afleet alex was sent off as the second choice behind bellamy road in the 2005 kentucky derby . he was among three horses in deep stretch whose nose touched the lead , but he could only manage a third - place finish behind longshot winner giacomo and even longer shot closing argument . afleet alex’s next race came in the preakness at pimlico , just a few miles from the timonium sales pavilion where he was purchased by ritchey and cash is king . the second leg of the triple crown for afleet alex is the race all remember when recalling his career .
a less - than - spectacular 2009 was followed by a better 2010 for afleet alex’s first crop , highlighted by afleet express’s nose win in the travers . that colt had emerged in late spring with sharp wins in an allowance race at belmont and the grade 3 pegasus , along with a rough - trip third in the jim dandy . but like his sire , he would not race again after his career - defining win , in this case due to a suspensory ligament injury . afleet express stands at gainesway alongside afleet alex , and his first foals are yearlings of 2013 .
today , afleet alex is living the good life , retired to a horse farm in kentucky , but i will never be able to thank that horse enough for what he did for the foundation , and for our family . this saturday , may 2 , a special horse will be in the field at the kentucky derby - materiality . what makes this horse special , his sire is none other than afleet alex . ten years after afleet alex took two out of three of the triple crown races , i cannot think of a better tribute to that special time in our lives than to see afleet alex ' s legacy continue , along with our daughter alex ' s . icing on the cake - we will be setting up a lemonade stand at the preakness this year , and know there will be signs of our alexs everywhere .
[ afleet alex ' s ] place in horse racing lore was established at that year ' s preakness . after another horse veered into his path , their heels clipped , and afleet alex dropped almost to his knees , his nose inches from the dirt , his jockey , jeremy rose , barely hanging on . it was a feat of athleticism for both horse and jockey . instead of going down , afleet alex regained his footing and roared off to a 43 / 4 - length victory .
he did something champions do ,
rose said after the race .
though he was the second betting choice in the derby , afleet alex finished third . the 2005 kentucky derby belonged to 50–1 giacomo and mike smith , while 71–1 long shot closing argument finished second . afleet alex finished third by a length . afterwards , of jeremy rose’s ride , ritchey said , “he did everything right . he took the horse through traffic to give him the opportunity to win . the other two horses were just a little better . ” now , it was on to the preakness for afleet alex , where the horse would soon become a legend .
soon after , the horse ' s owners offered a percentage of his winnings to alex ' s cause , and contributions took off . so did afleet alex ' s career . there was an alex ' s lemonade stand at the kentucky derby , where the horse finished third , and others at the preakness and belmont stakes , where he won both races .
afleet alex is currently active . his progeny tend to stay better than those of the average american sire but typically need time to mature . he stands at gainesway farm , lexington , kentucky .
on alex ' s 9th birthday , alex ' s lemonade stand foundation for childhood cancer is officially established , dedicated to funding and finding cures for all children battling cancer .
alsf reaches the $ 80 million fundraising mark—surpassing alex’s original goal by $ 79 million .
after the belmont , ritchey intended to take afleet alex back to saratoga and point to the travers stakes . however , in late july , ritchey announced that his colt had undergone surgery to repair a small fracture . even with this setback , cash is king hoped for a return in the fall with a goal of running in the breeders’ cup . in october , afleet alex’s fracture had not fully healed . in december , when a test revealed a degeneration of bone in his fractured leg , a condition that increased the possibility of another break , afleet alex was retired to stud .
louisville , ky . - the last race of smarty jones ' brilliant career was on june 5 , 2004 . exactly 21 days later , 2 - year - old afleet alex made his debut .
alex has sired a number of top - class horses , including travers stakes winner afleet express , who also stands at gainesway , and afleet again , winner of the breeders’ cup marathon and withers stakes . in all he has sired 10 graded stakes winners , 23 black type stakes winners , and two champions .
afleet alex was a star from the beginning . he wasn’t the most expensive horse in any of the sales , but once trainer tim ritchey got his hands on the northern afleet colt , things just went right . from the beginning , the colt knew how to win . afleet alex started his career at delaware park in a 5 . 5f maiden special weight , which he won easily . from there , the colt won an allowance at delaware before shipping to saratoga to run with the big boys . in his two graded stakes races at saratoga , the 6f sanford ( g2 ) and the 7f hopeful ( g1 ) , afleet alex went to belmont to start in the g1 champagne on a four race win streak .
just days before her first birthday , alex is diagnosed with neuroblastoma , a childhood cancer .
alsf starts team lemon , a charity race program supporting alex ' s lemonade stand foundation .
ten years later , reflecting back on afleet alex and the national prominence alsf gained because of the horse and his owners , it ' s hard to overstate how important it was to the foundation . afleet alex ' s story will be highlighted during this year ' s preakness coverage , with josh elliott interviewing liz and jay scott . tune in to preakness coverage on nbc on saturday , may 16 to watch .
nobody could live with afleet alex’s devastating turn of foot . his lead increased with every stride , running the final quarter mile in : 24 . 50 , the fastest closer since arts and letters in 1969 .
at the top of the stretch , he was set to engage the long - shot leader scrappy t when that rival suddenly ducked out , causing afleet alex to clip heels , stumble and nearly go down .
alexandra
alex
scott , future founder of alex ' s lemonade stand foundation , is born in connecticut to parents liz & jay scott . she is the second of four children .
afleet alex was a talented , ultra - consistent competitor and as game and determined as any horse who ever looked through a bridle . he proved all that and more with his rather miraculous victory in the preakness .
afleet alex , the champion 3 - year - old male of 2005 , has settled into a steady stallion career at gainesway in lexington , ky . , though he has yet to sire a true breakout horse .
it was clear that day the similarities between my daughter and afleet alex , they both showed spirit and strength to overcome adversity and race on . when the final day of the triple crown came , the belmont stakes , our immediate family couldn ' t be there , so alex ' s grandparents , aunts and uncles completed the
triple crown
of lemonade stands at the race . you see , we had a prior commitment , it was the same date as alex ' s
original
lemonade stand . this would be the very first stand we would hold without alex , and while there were tears shed that day , afleet alex gave us hope for the future . when post time finally arrived , we were still cleaning up from the lemonade stand , but we all huddled inside of the elementary school where alex ' s stand is held and watched on a tv provided for just this purpose . as we anxiously awaited the outcome , afleet alex seemed to have run out of luck staying in the middle of the pack until the last turn . but then , life found his feet and afleet alex took off once again , leaving the field in his dust . he won again by many lengths , showing the spirit of our alex , to never give up , and that it is never too late to make the difference .
the race was also notable for colts from the first crop sired by afleet alex ( truenicks , sro ) taking first and second here , with withers stakes ( gr . iii ) winner afleet again taking second . adding in last year’s hopeful stakes ( gr . i ) victor dublin – also grade i - placed this year – afleet alex now has three u . s . graded winners among his seven first crop stakes winners . to make the weekend even brighter , afleet alex’s second crop was represented by sharp - looking belmont park maiden winner commonwealth rush ( dam by forest wildcat ) on friday , and avatar day ( out of a salt lake ( truenicks , sro ) mare ) was second in the premio primi passi ( gr . iii ) in italy .
after an easy win in the six - furlong mountain valley at oaklawn to start his 3 - year - old season , afleet alex stopped badly in the grade 3 southwest , backing up to finish last in the six - horse field . diagnosed after the race with a lung infection , afleet alex recovered in time for the arkansas derby , where all doubts about his ability were put to rest when he won by eight lengths .
unfortunately , alex never raced again after suffering a fracture . when he was operated on , veterinarian patty hogan said she had to go through several drill heads because alex’s bone was so hard .
alex announces she is going to raise $ 1 million to help all children battling childhood cancer .
from there it was on to historic saratoga race course . he “drew away when aroused” and beat 10 other horses in the grade ii sanford , winning by over five lengths . next , afleet alex won the grade i hopeful on august 21 , 2004 . it was race 9 , right before the alabama where society selection would eventually win over ashado . afleet alex was bumped in the early stages by consiladator but eventually recovered and launched a rally going four - wide . the equibase chart report states that afleet alex “finished with a flurry to wear down devils disciple . ” he won by a neck and headed to belmont park as an undefeated horse .
afleet alex , as was his custom , had already been out for his customary jog around the belmont oval , and was now back for his usual second tour of the track , this time for a stiff gallop .
afleet alex began his second season with an easy victory in the six - furlong mountain valley stakes at oaklawn but ran the only bad race of his career in the grade 3 rebel stakes , finishing sixth , beaten 12 1 / 2 lengths by greater good . afleet alex recovered quickly from the lung infection behind that poor performance and booked his ticket to the kentucky derby with an eight - length romp in the grade 2 arkansas derby .
afleet alex , who has more graded earnings than any other 3 - year - old racing , trains twice a day in a routine that has been followed three to four times a week since january . trainer tim ritchey , who devised the plan over the winter , divides afleet alex ' s training into two sessions . he has him jog when the track first opens , then brings him back later in the morning for a gallop . most horses go to the track once a day , but ritchey ' s approach , which he doesn ' t use with other horses in his stable , is custom made to balance fitness with contentment for afleet alex .
afleet alex came out of the preakness incident with only a slight scrape on his left front ankle . “i would like to see afleet alex run a stalking race and make one good three - eighths - mile run , ” ritchey said . “i think he has a tremendous shot to win the belmont because he rates so well . he’ll relax behind horses - sit , sit , sit - and when jeremy asks him , he’ll make that big kick . ” heading in to the belmont stakes , the 1 1 / 2 - mile distance is always the big question . trainer tim ritchey believed he had afleet alex ready to go the distance . to jeremy rose , the distance wasn’t daunting when you had a superior horse like afleet alex . “if the preakness were a mile and a half , ” asked rose , “how many do you think we’d have won by ? ”
so america ' s top two runners did no better than round out their divisional superfectas , with afleet alex behind hurricane run , motivator , and shamardal among the 3 - year - olds and saint liam in arrears of ghostzapper , azamour , and westerner in the elder division . in all , only five americans - ghostzapper , saint liam , afleet alex , leroidesanimaux , and roses in may - made the hemisphere ' s top 20 .
it ' s really working out for alex ,
said zacney .
i give tim all the credit in the world . he picked the horse out . he ' s been his baby , his project , and he loves alex , and alex is thriving because of it .
while afleet alex did not win the kentucky derby ( he came in a respectable third place ) , the kentucky derby provided us with an amazing opportunity to expose alex ' s lemonade stand to new people , and as an added bonus , the horse racing and sports media began covering the story of the two alexs .
when afleet alex’s career took off , no one was more excited than silvertand . diagnosed with colon cancer , and given only two months to live , silvertand elected to discontinue chemotherapy and leave it “in god’s hands” so that he could fully enjoy afleet alex’s triumphs . “the horse keeps me going , ” silvertand told the associated press . “i truly believe he’s helping me in my battle . ” silvertand has now survived nearly three years since his diagnosis .
the pace was slow and steady early on , set by longshot pinpoint . cautioned about making a move too early , jeremy rose tucked afleet alex to eighth on the inside right , saving ground for the run - in .
in saturday ' s kentucky derby , the auxiliary starting gate will include no . 17 dublin , a son of afleet alex . in the next stall , no . 18 will be backtalk , a son of smarty jones .
our founder alexandra “alex” scott gave us our mission : to find cures for all children battling cancer .
kristen thompson , left , and terese brittingham at alex ' s lemonade stand at pimlico race course .
this is smarty ' s second crop of 3 - year - olds , alex ' s first .
that win sent the horse to churchill downs as one of the favorites for the kentucky derby , and after a blistering pace cooked the front - runners , a rallying afleet alex had every chance in the stretch at odds of 9 - 2 . the final sixteenth of the 2005 derby was a free - for - all , as a trio of closers staggered to the finish , and afleet alex could only get up for third behind longshots giacomo and closing argument .
nureyev is also broodmare sire of the highly successful us sire northern afleet –the sire of , among others , us champion and dual classic winner afleet alex . the latter is himself now a successful sire at gainesway farm with his progeny including such gr1 winners as dublin , afleet express , texas red , materiality , iotapa and sharla rae . yet another successful sire out of a nureyev mare is the zafonic horse iffraaj –whose dam , pastorale , is a half sister to cape sire great britain .
4 - year - old alex announces she wants to hold a lemonade stand to help her hospital ! with the help of her older brother , alex raised an amazing $ 2 , 000 for her hospital .
during the first 12 days of his life , afleet alex was bottle - fed by silvertand ' s then 9 - year - old daughter lauren because his dam was unable to produce milk and a nurse mare was not immediately available .
scrappy made a fantastic controlled run to the front with plenty left in the tank . afleet alex took a masterful ride and made a major impressive move in clear view of everyone prior to the incident . scrappy t then blew the turn going about 4 wide . i will always wonder if he would have won the race had he not blown that turn . afleet alex was really coming hard , just gobbling up ground so fast it seemed everyone else was in slow motion .
afleet alex might not have been the best preakness winner in recent memory , but his 4 3 / 4 - length win in the 2005 pimlico classic was certainly the most dramatic and perhaps the most visually impressive of the early 21st century .
finally , afleet alex was retired . a new injury was discovered before the horse was shipped to gulfsteam park . “it would heal , but your’re looking at six to eight months , ” ritchey said . “and with a horse of his value and his credentials , he just needs to be retired and go to stud . ” a deal was made for afleet alex to stand at stud in kentucky at gainesway farm in 2006 . his initial stud fee was $ 40 , 000 .
afleet alex finished the year with two losses when he was outfinished by longshot wilko and finished second at the breeders’ cup juvenile stakes . alex bobbled at the start and endured another bump with consiladator . he finished gamely but weakened slightly at the end of the race . going five - wide and eventually four - wide most of the trip had taken its toll . nevertheless , afleet alex was on the radar as one of the top derby contenders for 2005 . and he was now going to follow the same path as smarty jones and head for oaklawn to prep for the kentucky derby .
alex ' s story attracts national attention and she appears on the oprah winfrey show and the today show .
we were going down , and ' little alex ' popped us up ,
he told her .
the little girl , alex scott , was loved by people everywhere who were inspired by her courage and her will to live . the little horse , afleet alex , is loved by people everywhere who are inspired by his courage and his will to win . “i’ve received letters from people who say when they watch this horse run it literally brings tears to their eyes , ” says ritchey . i am among them . and as the story continues , as afleet alex races on , with every glass of lemonade i drink this summer , i will know that i am participating in a miracle .
the potentially horrific scene seemed to play out in slow motion . incredibly , afleet alex did not fall . in a remarkable feat of athleticism , he somehow pulled his half - ton frame upright . then , to everyone’s amazement , he recovered his stride and kept running . the astonished crowd roared as afleet alex , unhurt but clearly incensed , surged ahead and won the race by nearly five lengths . that moment will go down as one of the most remarkable in horse racing’s history .
bred in florida by john silvertand , afleet alex was plucked from the 2004 fasig - tipton midlantic sale of 2 - year - olds in training by trainer tim ritchey on behalf of the cash is king stable syndicate headed by chuck zacney . afleet alex won his first start , a 5 1 / 2 - furlong maiden race at delaware park , only a little more than a month later , cruising to an 11 1 / 4 - length victory in 1 : 03 . 85 .
the next two legs of the triple crown would define afleet alex’s career and set him up for a strong initial reception as a stallion after he was retired later that summer . his amazing , athletic performance in the preakness – where he nearly dropped to his knees at the top of the stretch after being bumped by scrappy t and then recovered to win going away – was replayed countless times during the interregnum before the belmont , giving afleet alex national recognition for his athleticism and ability .
afleet alex , who ran in all the triple crown races in 2005 and won the preakness after a dramatic stumble , was one of alsf ' s earliest
celebrity
supporters . the support of his owners was a turning point for the foundation . after alex passed away in 2004 , alex ' s parents , liz and jay scott , weren ' t sure how to go on without her . as jay scott wrote in a recent huffington post piece :
if the jacksons expected great things from their colt , barbaro’s delaware park predecessor , afleet alex , far exceeded his owners’ expectations . five newcomers to the sport bought the florida - bred alex at maryland’s 2004 fasig - tipton two - year - old in training sale for the rock bottom price of $ 75 , 000 . chuck zacney , bob brittingham , joe judge , joe lerro and jen reeves made alex the first purchase of cash is king stable . delaware park trainer tim ritchey chose alex for the group after watching the small but sturdy colt strut through the ring .
eight horses were entered in the $ 500 , 000 champagne stakes at belmont . juvenile supremacy in the east was on the line . this race was also a prep for the breeders’ cup october 30 at lone star park . the champagne would be afleet alex’s first attempt at 1 1 / 16 - miles . it had been deemed the battle of the unbeaten horses . proud accolade was 3 - for - 3 , while afleet alex was 4 - for - 4 heading into the champagne . sun king was also entered in the champagne and would be a familiar opponent for afleet alex through the years . but it was todd pletcher’s proud accolade , the son of yes it’s true , who ended up winning by a half a length .
afleet alex ( 2004 ) – afleet alex won the sanford and the hopeful as a two - year - old , but is best known for his three - year - old season . after finishing third in the 2005 kentucky derby behind 50 - 1 shot giacomo , he came back to win a heart stopping preakness and a dominant belmont stakes . after not racing for the remainder of 2005 , he was still named champion three - year - old . he is the sire of multiple top horses , including 2014 breeders’ cup juvenile winner , texas red . he also has sired iotapa , afleet express , materiality , and dublin .
retired to gainesway in 2006 , afleet alex sired the grade 1 hopeful stakes winner dublin ( out of classy mirage , by storm bird ) , the grade 1 travers stakes winner afleet express ( expanse , by distant view ) , the grade 2 breeders’ cup marathon winner afleet again ( lucky again , by wild again ) , the grade 2 winner afleeting lady ( oatsee , by unbridled ) , and the grade 2 winner harissa ( dynasty , by time for a change ) in his first crop . that was , in fact , a pretty spectacular start to any horse’s stud career , but until iotapa came along in his fourth crop , those first - crop graded stakes winners were his five best offspring . afleet alex’s production in between those crops was rather uninspiring .
in the 1 1 / 2 - mile belmont , afleet alex completely dominated his opposition , winning by seven lengths . it would be his last start , however , as a hairline fracture was discovered shortly afterward , followed by a diagnosis of bone degeneration in his left foreleg . the horse was retired in december and sent to graham beck’s gainesway for the 2006 breeding season . at that time , stonestreet’s jackson bought a major interest in afleet alex to join cash is king and gainesway as owners .
despite the loss in the rebel stakes , the horse had an excuse and the road map to the derby was still going according to plan . the arkansas derby would be the third and final race leading to the first saturday in may . and just like the 2004 kentucky derby winner , smarty jones , afleet alex performed brilliantly in the arkansas derby . jeremy rose was back aboard , and afleet alex won by eight lengths , the largest margin of victory in the race’s 69 - year history .
this is afleet alex ' s preakness 2005 run where he almost falls at the top of the stretch ! he recovers to take off and win in stunning fashion . there is footage after the race which covers slow motion footage of the near fall .
afleet alex had surpassed his owners ' wildest dreams . zacney and his partners had purchased the horse , their first buy , at a timonium auction in 2004 for $ 75 , 000 , at the behest of tim richey , a trainer from elkton .
cash is king stable purchased afleet alex from the 2 - year - old sale . cash is king was then a brand new partnership whose members were from the philadelphia and delaware valley area . in early 2004 , the head of the stable , chuck zacney , asked tim ritchey to buy and train a horse for cash is king . ritchey made the first purchase for cash is king for $ 75 , 000 at the timonium sale in april 2004 . that colt turned out to be afleet alex .
after starting off hot , alex is looking for that next big horse to put him back in the limelight .
alex does not have history on his side . his third in the kentucky derby blew his triple crown chances .
afleet alex ' s trainer , tim richey , was featured in the interactive program “talkin ' horses” on urltoken on may 25 , 2005 , with much of the discussion focusing on the colt ' s derby and preakness performances . the transcript was later published in
late in 2005 , afleet alex retired , having won eight of 12 starts for $ 2 , 765 , 800 . leg injuries suffered , most likely , in the preakness ended his career . he stands at stud at gainesway farm ( ky . ) .
afleet alex knew what it was like to fight for life . at birth , he was given little chance of survival when his mother was unable to produce milk , depriving him of critical colostrum needed to fight infection . for two weeks he was bottle - fed by breeder john silvertand’s 9 - year - old daughter lauren . against the odds , afleet alex survived and grew strong . overlooked by racing’s elite , he was purchased for a bargain price by a group of five philadelphia friends buying their very first racehorse .
afleet alex raced only once more , winning the belmont by seven lengths and confirming that he was the champion of what , in retrospect , was not among the best crops in the history of american racing . none of the other runners in that year’s triple crown races have become outstanding sires – flower alley’s 2012 kentucky derby and preakness winner i’ll have another is probably the best horse sired by any of the participants – but on balance , afleet alex is the best sire of the crop , just as he was , on balance , the best racehorse . his daughter , iotapa , the winner of the clement l . hirsch stakes at del mar on aug . 2 , is afleet alex’s third grade 1 winner among his 25 stakes winners from 504 foals ages 3 and up .