The Colombian weasel (Neogale felipei), also known as Don Felipe's weasel, is a very rare species of weasel only known with certainty from the departments of Huila and Cauca in Colombia[2] and nearby northern Ecuador (where it is only known from a single specimen).[1] Both its scientific and alternative common name honours the mammalogist Philip "Don Felipe" Hershkovitz.[3]
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 10 known specimens,[1] it is probably the rarest carnivoran in South America.[4] It is considered vulnerable by the IUCN.[1]
It is the second-smallest living carnivoran on average, being only slightly larger than the least weasel (Mustela nivalis) and slightly smaller than the stoat or ermine (M. erminea).[5] The upperparts and tail are blackish-brown, while the underparts are orange-buff.[4]
The species was formerly only known from specimens until the first photo of a living individual was taken in 2011 by an amateur naturalist who found one trapped in his parents' house; the weasel subsequently escaped to the outdoors. The image was uploaded to iNaturalist in 2018, where it gained widespread attention.[6][7]
^ abcdGonzález-Maya, J.F.; Emmons, L.; Helgen, K.; Arias-Alzate, AAA. (2016). "Mustela felipei". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T14026A45201088. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T14026A45201088.en. Retrieved 14 March 2022. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is vulnerable
^Eisenberg, John Frederick; Redford, Kent Hubbard (1999). Mammals of the Neotropics: The Central Neotropics: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil. Vol. 3. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 624. ISBN 978-0-226-19542-1.
^Izor, R. J.; L. de la Torre (1978). "A New Species of Weasel (Mustela) from the Highlands of Colombia, with Comments on the Evolution and Distribution of South American Weasels". Journal of Mammalogy. 59 (1): 92–102. doi:10.2307/1379878. JSTOR 1379878.
^ abNovak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
^Carnivores of the World by Dr. Luke Hunter. Princeton University Press (2011), ISBN 9780691152288
^Mandelbaum, Ryan F. (30 April 2019). "Man Takes First-Ever Photo of Living Colombian Weasel After Finding It Standing on His Toilet". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2020-06-03.
^de Roux, Juan M.; Noguera-Urbano, Elkin A.; Ramírez-Chaves, Héctor E. (2019-05-30). "The Vulnerable Colombian weasel Mustela felipei (Carnivora): new record from Colombia and a review of its distribution in protected areas". Therya. 10 (2). Asociación Mexicana de Mastozoología: 207–210. doi:10.12933/therya-19-776. ISSN 2007-3364. S2CID 202192381 – via ResearchGate.
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