There are about 10 different species of weasels that live in forests, meadows, and grasslands. They can be found in North America, northern South America, Europe, Asia, and the extreme north of Africa. Weasels live about 10 years in captivity. Weasels have very short legs, a long snout, and a long, slender body. Some weasels have long tails, others have short tails.
Males are about twice the size of females.
Weasels have brown to yellow-brown fur with paler fur on the belly. The tip of the tail is often black. Many weasels grow white fur in the winter, but the tip of the tail remains black. When an animal chases the weasel, it will often chase the black tail tip and miss catching the weasel. Weasels are preyed upon by owls and hawks.