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Original poster

I really struggle to get my head round weasels

288 replies

HoneyDragon · 06/06/2013 18:46

I've seen them. I know what they look like, and often catch them whizzing across the road at weasel warp speed.

But their size always surprises me. Every time. I know they are small. But when you look at a picture of a weasel or think weasel, you think bigger. You don't think "oh, a weasel. That's a little bigger than a hamster that is". Or I don't. I go, ooooh a weasel. Wow, it's tiny, every time, the surprise never abates.

I struggle with weasel physics. That the actual weasel is not the size of the concept of weasel in my head.

I'm not sure how to fix it. Confused

OP posts:
EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 07/06/2013 12:47

Weasels are smaller than squirrels?????

We used to have a dachshund who loved humping his toy badger. I think he'd have fled in terror if faced with a full sized one though.

OnTheBottomWithAWomansWeekly · 07/06/2013 12:45

Oh, visited a house years ago where one of the people volunteered at the zoo, and was hand rearing a lemur (I think).

V v cute, big eyes, bottle fed, she had to bring it home at night as it needed such regular frequent feeds. It was in what looked like a mini baby's cot in her room!

OnTheBottomWithAWomansWeekly · 07/06/2013 12:43

*two weeks ago

OnTheBottomWithAWomansWeekly · 07/06/2013 12:42

I've seen pine marten shite, on hols in France (nature walk with the owner of the gite). Full of cherry stones, apparently they like cherries. Saw the most butterflies ever on the same walk, they were fantastic.

I see a lot of badgers, but usually about half an inch thick and 4 feet across (I have a 40 mile commute every day on a road through Wicklow). Plus a lot of flat foxes and other furry squishy things.

Had baby rats in the garden two weeks (field behind me) but they haven't visited since I stopped putting bird food out. Years ago my parent's dog cornered a rat and then didn't know what to do with it. Dog barking for 10 mins, rat hissing in corner of garden. V funny. Finally called dog off (well dragged her) and rat ran off and didn't return.
(do you all think there are lots of rats in my life now? Grin )

Original poster
HoneyDragon · 07/06/2013 12:37

Blush oh dear. Does this means its never going to be deleted?

OP posts:
Original poster
HoneyDragon · 07/06/2013 12:36

See, with weasels it's all about the element of surprise

I want a pet Prairie dog Envy

OP posts:
MNHQ
RebeccaMumsnet · 07/06/2013 12:34

Hi all,

Thanks for the reports, we've moved this thread to classics now.

Stropperella · 07/06/2013 11:56

A tiny but very fierce weasel once bit the end of my dog's nose. The dog was so surprised, he forgot to attack the weasel. So it lived to fight another day.

TheWombat · 07/06/2013 11:55

I am concerned that weasels will be left with an inferiority complex / identity crisis after all this Confused.

lionheart · 07/06/2013 11:46

That's just peculiar, Pfaffer!

Pfaffer · 07/06/2013 11:32

Has anyone mentioned weasel milk?
Apparently it's the closest thing to human milk in the animal kingdom.

KansasCityOctopus · 07/06/2013 11:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DalekInAFestiveJumper · 07/06/2013 11:13

I once attended a party where the host had pet prairie dogs. I discovered this fact when I sat down on the sofa with my glass of wine and a three pound rodent popped up from between the throw pillows and LAUNCHED itself at me.

It turns out prairie dogs are very unusually large (to my mind, at least!) and affectionate, and also I can make a variety of startlingly high pitched noises.

SixPackWellies · 07/06/2013 10:34

I saw a weasel take a mouse once right in front of me. It was incredible.

lionheart · 07/06/2013 10:26

Must have been a very good shot, they are tiny. Wink

TheresAHuppoInMyHouse · 07/06/2013 10:24

Great shot, Dad!

Thisvehicleisreversing · 07/06/2013 10:14

My dad woke one night to hear our lovely big white bunny screaming. He ran out in his pants to discover a mean bastard ferret attacking him (bunny not pant-clad dad)

So he shot him. Grin

Bastarding ferret.

Bunny was fine. (and lived till he was 13!)

lionheart · 07/06/2013 10:04

I think the weasel discrepancy is because David Attenborough has to compete with a cartoon menagerie (Disney and all that).

lionheart · 07/06/2013 10:00

I do often marvel at the wonders of evolution but sometimes, you can't do anything but think WTAF???!!!

Star nosed mole a good example.

Take that coconut crab thing webecoist.momtastic.com/2009/02/03/the-9-strangest-animals-on-earth/

Can you imagine putting your rubbish out and having to negotiate one of those?

PsammeadPaintedTheLion · 07/06/2013 09:59

I aboslutely struggle with weasels too. I'm nodding my head furiously here. I never thought I would be so emphatic about weasels.

I saw one the other day and it was teeny. I thought it was a baby weasel. Bt apparently that's how big they are.

I always thought they were the size of a small cat. But they are actually the size of a baby weasel. Grin

lionheart · 07/06/2013 09:56

This thread has made me laugh (and google weasels).

Rhinos are very big.

Original poster
HoneyDragon · 07/06/2013 09:28

Considerably. FFS why did my mistake have to italicised. Can we just pretend my hayfever has extended to my typing?

OP posts:
Original poster
HoneyDragon · 07/06/2013 09:27

Pink weasels are a species in their own right. They are condiderably larger than standard weasels with a tendency toward muffin toppage when wearing skinny lederhosen.

So not the same thing as a common garden weasel that has sent out misleading propaganda about its size for many many years.

OP posts:
BeerTricksPotter · 07/06/2013 07:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cooroo · 07/06/2013 07:46

Lyra's daemon, Pantalaimon, ends up as a pine marten (why do I want to use caps for PM?). But they are scary - google pine marten football attack.

Thread was making me very happy till I got to the star-nosed mole. That is wrong and very nasty.