The weasel is one of three mammals found in our country whose fur turns white in winter.
    
Small in stature, reaching up to 20 cm in length and 100 g in weight, but a flexible and agile hunter with sharp teeth – that is a brief description of the frequently encountered but little-known weasel (Mustela nivalis) in Latvia. There is still plenty of scope for further research into weasels.

Weasels are active throughout the year. Specialised in hunting small rodents and insectivores, they can follow their prey into underground burrows. They hunt by hiding in vegetation, or in winter, beneath the snow. They are capable of killing an animal three to four times their own size. They typically kill their prey with a bite to the back of the neck. If they catch more than they can eat, they create food stores.

They are most often found in forests, agricultural land, riverbanks, and also in inhabited areas. They do not use a permanent den for resting, but rather opportunistic hideouts: mouse burrows, brushwood piles, gaps between tree roots, and similar places. A weasel's home range and hunting territory covers 3–4 hectares.
Photo by Edgars Smislovs