It's true, they are tiny

[mylittleyumyum]

I remember a thread on here from a loooong time ago, regarding how small weasels are and how people assume they are ferret sized or larger, so I thought I had an idea of their size in my head.

However I witnessed my first weasels today, and they are so teensy, like furry snakes. I was quite surprised.

Now I need to get myself to North America, to see a moose, those things look enormous, height of a house. I thought I was prepared for weasels, I now want to be shocked by a moose.

As you were.

@TastelessBracelets my first thought too 😂

A weasle is weasily identified, a stoat is stoately different.
I had a weasel in my bedroom, when I was a kid, kindly brought in by our cat. I had a cabin bed and was sitting at the desk when something rustled by my feet. Got my dad to move the bed out and there it was hiding under the wardrobe.

I saw a weasel in my garden strangle a rabbit in about nine seconds... it was really traumatic ... poor bunny had no chance whatsoever

I saw a weasel once, when I was on maternity leave and out for a walk. I too was shocked at how small they were! It was very cute and wriggly.

@TastelessBracelets - It appears I am not as well informed about the ways of platypuses as I thought - I have no idea what you're talking about!

My weasels were crossing a country road (central Scotland)

Badgers are surprisingly big. I thought Jack Russell sort of size but the one I saw was as long as the front of my car.

We've spotted weasels, stoats and polecats up on farmland near us. One polecat had its head stuck in a fence and it had an army of family trying to tug it free. It caused quite a commotion, hence we went to look, which seemed to give then the incentive to pull harder and free their brother - they all scampered off into the undergrowth. They were kind of ferret sized with such pretty faces.

Didn't see any moose though!

@SheWranglesRugRats, that's what I thought. I only saw a real life badger for the first time a couple of months ago in the garden, had no idea they were the big. It was really cute.

@SheWranglesRugRats

Badgers are surprisingly big. I thought Jack Russell sort of size but the one I saw was as long as the front of my car.

Oh!! I imaged they were smaller too, I'd love to see one. Love 🦡

In your garden, Staffy?

STOAT = Sable Tip On A Tail

The only badger I've ever seen irl was dead on the side of the road

We had a weasel in the house once. It was indeed tiny. I was also misled by the Tufty Club (although I didn't think they were half the size of an ice cream van but I did think they were ferret sized)

I thought weasles were the size of an otter! Was also surprised to see one in the Peak District!

The other animal I had no idea about was a capybara.

I mean, yes, 'big guineapig'- but they're huge!

@Thisismytimetoshine

In your garden, Staffy?

@Thisismytimetoshine, yes, I've only seen it once, it wasn't quite the size of the front of a car, but certainly bigger than I thought they would be. DH is not impressed though as thy dig little holes everywhere. So do foxes which we also have in the garden nightly, they are a real nuisance as they dig massive holes, have got on the trampoline and made a large hole in the side netting, broken a water feature and drag rubbish into the garden and shred it. Have had more than one shredded used nappy.

Ah, not as charming as they look, then...

I have to admit I'd pay to see one on a trampoline, though

Badgers are like labradors with corgi legs.

@Thisismytimetoshine, yes, that must be quite funny. I've seen videos of them jumping on trampolines

This is like how a whole generation grew up thinking that puffins and penguins were the same size (or even the same thing!) because of the book brand Penguin Books (who's children's division was Puffin Books).

Ah yes,I can relate to this. All my life I've thought puffins were chicken sized.Then about 3 years ago we went to look at the puffins at Bempton cliffs. They're tiny. I was gobsmacked. I'm 59. Enough said.

Oh these must be what I’ve seen running around the countryside around our new house. They’re everywhere around here and I wondered what they were!

I saw a stoat hunt a rabbit behind my house. It leapt repeatedly while twisting and looping, not fixing on the rabbit with a predatory stare, the rabbit was mesmerised as the thing just looked like furry chaos, and it totally missed the fact that the stoat was getting ever closer until it struck and the rabbit was dead.

2nd photo in the 13 facts article is an otter 🤣