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Litter Size

How many babies does a Least weasel have at once? (litter size)

How many baby Least weasels are in a litter?

A Least weasel (Mustela nivalis) usually gives birth to around 5 babies.With 1 litters per year, that sums up to a yearly offspring of 5 babies.

Each of those little ones spend around 36 days as a fetus before they are released into the wild. Upon birth, they weight 2 grams (0 lbs) and measure 5 cm (0′ 2″). They are a member of the Mustelidae family (genus: Mustela). An adult Least weasel grows up to a size of 18.9 cm (0′ 8″).

To have a reference: Humans obviously usually have a litter size of one ;). Their babies are in the womb of their mother for 280 days (40 weeks) and reach an average size of 1.65m (5′ 5″). They weight in at 62 kg (137 lbs), which is obviously highly individual, and reach an average age of 75 years.

The average litter size of a Least weasel is 5

The least weasel (Mustela nivalis), little weasel, common weasel, or simply weasel in the UK and much of the world, is the smallest member of the genus Mustela, family Mustelidae and order Carnivora. It is native to Eurasia, North America and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Malta, Crete, Bermuda, Madeira Island, the Azores, the Canary Islands, São Tomé, the Falkland Islands, Argentina and Chile. It is classified as least concern by the IUCN, due to its wide distribution and large population throughout the Northern Hemisphere.Least weasels from various parts of its range vary greatly in size. The body is slender and elongated, the legs and tail are relatively short. The colour varies geographically, as does the pelage type and length of tail. The dorsal surface, flanks, limbs and tail of the animal are usually some shade of brown while the underparts are white. The line delineating the boundary between the two colours is usually straight. At high altitudes and in the northern part of its range, the coat becomes pure white in winter. Eighteen subspecies are recognised.Small rodents form the largest part of the least weasel’s diet, but it also kills and eats rabbits, other mammals, and occasionally birds, birds’ eggs, fish and frogs. Males mark their territories with olfactory signals and have exclusive home ranges which may intersect with or include several female ranges. Least weasels use pre-existing holes to sleep, store food and raise their young. Breeding takes place in the spring and summer, and there is a single litter of about six kits which are reared exclusively by the female. Due to its small size and fierce nature, the least weasel plays an important part in the mythology and legend of various cultures.

Other animals of the family Mustelidae

Least weasel is a member of the Mustelidae, as are these animals:

Animals that share a litter size with Least weasel

Those animals also give birth to 5 babies at once:

Animals that get as old as a Least weasel

Other animals that usually reach the age of 10 years:

Animals with the same weight as a Least weasel

What other animals weight around 79 grams (0.17 lbs)?

Animals with the same size as a Least weasel

Also reaching around 18.9 cm (0′ 8″) in size do these animals: