Long slender body, short tail. Widespread throughout Britain, weasels are our smallest and probably most numerous carnivores. However, they are absent from Ireland and most off-shore islands. They are found in a wide range of habitats which include urban areas, lowland pasture and woodland, marshes and moors. Weasels are less common where their small mammal prey are scarce, such as at higher altitudes and in dense woodland with sparse ground cover.
Weasels specialise in hunting small rodents and their numbers depend on the abundance of their prey.
The weasel's small size enables it to search through tunnels and runways of mice and voles. Access to tunnels means weasels can hunt at any time of the day or year. They do not hibernate and can hunt even under deep snow. Additional prey such as birds, eggs and young rabbits may be taken, particularly if rodents are scarce. Dens are usually nests of former prey taken over by weasels, and may contain the remains of food from several days meals.