Six extant mustelid genera left-to-right, top-to-bottom: Martes, Meles, Lutra, Gulo, Mustela, and Mellivora
Mustelidae is a family of mammals in the order Carnivora, which includes weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks, and wolverines, and many other extant and extinct genera. A member of this family is called a mustelid; Mustelidae is the largest family in Carnivora, and its extant species are divided into eight subfamilies. They are found on all continents except Antarctica and Australia, and are a diverse family; sizes range, including tails, from the widespread 17 cm (7 in) least weasel to the 1.8-meter (6 ft) giant otter of Amazonian South America. Habitats vary widely as well, from the arboreal marten to the fossorial European badger to the marine sea otter. Population sizes are largely unknown, though two species, the sea mink and Japanese otter, were hunted to extinction in 1894 and 1979, respectively, and several other species are endangered. Some species have been domesticated, e.g. the ferret and some populations of the South American tayra. Mustelidae is one of the oldest families in Carnivora; early mustelids first appeared around 28–33 million years ago.[1]
The 23 genera and 63 extant species of Mustelidae are split into 8 subfamilies: Guloninae, martens and wolverines; Helictidinae, ferret-badgers; Ictonychinae, African polecats and grisons; Lutrinae, otters; Melinae, Eurasian badgers; Mellivorinae, the honey badger; Mustelinae, weasels and minks; and Taxidiinae, the American badger. In addition to the extant subfamilies, Mustelidae includes three extinct subfamilies designated as Leptarctinae, Mustelavinae, and Oligobuninae. Extinct species have also been placed into all of the extant subfamilies besides Helictidinae, in both extant and extinct genera; around 200 extinct Mustelidae species have been found, as well as fossil genera not given a species name, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed.
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ferret and some populations of the South American tayra. Mustelidae is one of the oldest families in Carnivora; early mustelids first appeared around 28–33...
subfamily of the mustelids, but DNA research placed them in their own separate family (Mephitidae). Mongooses bear a striking resemblance to many mustelids, but...
The following listof fictional musteloids in animation is subsidiary to the listof fictional musteloids. This list includes weasels, ferrets, minks,...
The following listof fictional musteloids is subsidiary to the listof fictional animals. This includes weasels, ferrets, minks, otters, martens, skunks...
an anal pouch which, unusual among mustelids, is eversible, a trait shared with hyenas and mongooses. The smell of the pouch is reportedly "suffocating"...
ermine, is a mustelid native to Eurasia and the northern regions of North America. Because of its wide circumpolar distribution, it is listed as Least Concern...
American counterparts. It is the largest of terrestrial mustelids; only the marine-dwelling sea otter, the giant otter of the Amazon basin and the semi-aquatic...
Kryštufek, B. (2000). "Mustelids in the Balkans – small carnivores in the European biodiversity hot-spot". In Griffiths, H.J. (ed.). Mustelids in a modern world:...
less territorial than other mustelids, with animals of the same sex frequently sharing home ranges. Like other mustelids, the European polecat is polygamous...
order Carnivora consisting of "dog-like" carnivorans. They include dogs (wolves, foxes, etc.), bears, raccoons, and mustelids. The Pinnipedia (seals, walruses...
manner to also include wolverines, martens, and many other mustelids, to the exclusion of the otters (Lutrinae). Subfamily Mustelinae The sea mink (Neogale...
marten, is a mustelid native to and widespread in most of Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and parts of Iran, Iraq and Syria. It is listed as Least Concern...
the indigenous name of the animal in Bolivia and Peru, while barbara means "strange" or "foreign". Tayras are long, agile mustelids, similar in appearance...
collaris) is a very large terrestrial mustelid native to Southeast Asia. It is listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red Listof Threatened Species because the global...
Hog badgers are three species ofmustelid in the genus Arctonyx. They represent one of the two genera in the subfamily Melinae, alongside the true badgers...
Mustelid gammaherpesvirus 1 (MusHV-1) is a species of virus in the genus Percavirus, subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae, family Herpesviridae, and order Herpesvirales...
The caniforms include the canines, bears, raccoons, mustelids, skunks and pinnipeds. Members of this group are found worldwide with immense diversity...
territories using their anal glands, a trait found also in viverrids and mustelids, but not canids and felids. When attacked by lions or dogs, striped and...
The greater grison (Galictis vittata) is a species ofmustelid native to Southern Mexico, Central America, and South America. The greater grison is a...
Brooks, D. (1991). "Some notes on terrestrial mustelids in the central Paraguayan Chaco" (PDF). Mustelid and Viverrid Conservation. 4: 5–6. Archived from...
Physically, ferrets resemble other mustelids because of their long, slender bodies. Including their tail, the average length of a ferret is about 50 cm (20 in);...
and most diverse family of carnivores, the mustelids, reaches their maximum size (by mass) in the sea otter (Enhydra lutris) of the North Pacific coasts...
ermine or American stoat (Mustela richardsonii) is a species ofmustelid native to most of North America. It was long considered conspecific with the stoat...
favorite cooking implement is his Spice Weasel, a mustelid-like creature which propels a cloud of spices from its snout upon having its body squeezed...
thibetanus VU Ussuri black bear, U. t. ussuricus Family: Mustelidae (mustelids) Genus: Enhydra Sea otter, E. lutris EN Genus: Gulo Wolverine, G. gulo...
Wang, J.; O'Brien, P. C. (2002). "The genome phylogeny of domestic cat, red panda and five Mustelid species revealed by comparative chromosome painting and...
of Thailand. Bangkok: Association for the Conservation of Wildlife. Choudhury, A. (1997). "The distribution and status of small carnivores (mustelids...
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