Neogale frenata washingtoni

This was originally Putorius washingtoni. Then it changed to Mustela frenata washingtoni, and now it is this. This is the Washington Weasel, or now properly the Washington Long-tailed Weasel. This species was based off of male and female samples in winter pelage from Mount Adams and its Trout Lake in Washington State.https://archive.org/details/synopsisofweasel00merriala/page/18/mode/2up Females are much smaller than the males in the skull. The males skull shape resembles that of male P. noveboracensis, but the female's seems to be kind of its own thing. They are described as having two different winter pelages, which to me says that it's either based off of different weather patterns in a microclimate, particular color genes in individuals (some get this color, others get that color, those in the same litter can have different winter patterns), or that there are actually two different subspecies on that mountain, perhaps distinguished by elevation or habitat. In the drab form they turn brown with white and yellow. There should be brown spots by the corners of the mouth. In the white form it is almost entirely white with a black tail tip, as an ermine. There may be some yellow, however.
I don't know what the color standards are for today.
==References==
Category:Neogale
Category:Putorius
Category:Washington State