I really struggle to get my head round weasels

[HoneyDragon]

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.

M&MMA you just beat me to it

Weasels are cute! Ta Beehatch!

Excellent, MeanAndMeasly I'm loving Ozzy.

someone mentioned voles. Now many voles are teeny tiny, but water voles - they are unfeasibly big! exactly like big plump guinea pigs.

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?sa=X&biw=1280&bih=577&tbm=isch&tbnid=gNM2X0c3kVRh7M:&imgrefurl=plantdiagnostics.umd.edu/level3.cfm%3FcauseID%3D69&docid=AoD7Te31p4-ytM&imgurl=plantdiagnostics.umd.edu/_media/client/diagnostics/fullsize/vole_l.jpg&w=400&h=300&ei=A_WwUfiLOoXe4QS_t4GABQ&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:9,s:0,i:120&iact=rc&dur=1243&page=1&tbnh=186&tbnw=255&start=0&ndsp=10&tx=154&ty=97" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">meadow vole

<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?sa=X&biw=1280&bih=577&tbm=isch&tbnid=JEz2PVkSSLPC0M:&imgrefurl=www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/European_Water_Vole&docid=FaH-m4PVewIS7M&imgurl=ichef.bbci.co.uk/naturelibrary/images/ic/credit/640x395/e/eu/european_water_vole/european_water_vole_1.jpg&w=640&h=395&ei=A_WwUfiLOoXe4QS_t4GABQ&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:8,s:0,i:117&iact=rc&dur=1884&page=1&tbnh=176&tbnw=286&start=0&ndsp=10&tx=111&ty=109" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">water vole

What is the animal that is very big - bigger than a cat, maybe, and quite long - and looks like a stoat but with slightly badger-like facial stripes?

There was a big stuffed one in a pub I was in a while ago and we couldn't work out what it was. The owner didn't know, he thought it was a badger. But it was too thin in the body and its face wasn't pointy enough to be a badger. It's fur was a kind of sandy colour, with a slightly stripy face.

A pine marten ComeAlong?

Hmm, maybe... I think it had slightly smaller ears though, and wasn't as dark as that. And google isn't showing pine martens having very stripy faces - it was distinctly stripy in the face, enough that the landlord and two of our group were adamant it was a badger. (It definitely wasn't a badger!)

Going off on a tangent, sloths freak me out completely. They make me feel extremely uneasy. Wtf is going on with the weird toupee hair thing?

Who mentioned hairy caterpillars?

I had a really bad allergic reaction after stroking hairy caterpillars as a child.

Do you still get them? I haven't seen one for years!!

Female badgers are skinnier than you'd expect?

Ive seen stoats, weasels, bagders and an otter.
The otter was quaite large, weasels are teeny, stoats are HUUUGE, the one who lives in my paddock is the size of a BIG squirrel, and badgers seem to have a death wish. There are dead ones everywhere round here!

Could be a female badger I suppose - it was very pale though. Not at all grey, more blonde.

And it's stripe on its face was a slightly darker brown. Not black and white at all.

I'm amazed at the tinyness of weasels.

Who knew?

The weasels keep it quiet though.

I was driving home a couple of years ago and saw what appeared to be a couple of lb of sausages linked together crossing the road. Thought I was going a bit mad but then found out it was Ma Weasel and her Weaselly crew of baby Weasels. Very cute. Collective name for a group of weasels ? A waggle of Weasels perhaps....

I saw a stuffed stoat and a stuffed weasel in the same display case & was surprised (nay, astounded) at the the tininess of one of them. Thanks to this thread I now know that the tiny one was a weasel.

I hate the sounds foxes make. Really scaaaaary.

Threads like this are one of the reasons I love Mumsnet.

Thank you all!

I love weasels too, even though they are tiny.

Google tells me:
Male and Female stoats and weasels are referred to as a dog and a bitch respectively. The young are called kittens or kits. Collective nouns for a group of weasels include boogle, gang, pack and confusion.

A Confusion of Weasels :o. How apt.

Could it have been a Polecat ComeAlong? They are fairly sizeable.

HD - maybe you think weasels are cat sized because they think they are and are projecting the image to annoy you? Just a thought.

[ not desperate to mark place in thread or anything ]

Weasels just look cute!

And please tell me if there is another animal in the world that has as much fun as an otter? I'd just love to play with them!

An otter ate Terry Nutkins finger.

A weasel is weasily told from the stoat by the simple fact that his tail is black and his figure is slightly bigger

Has Michaela danced with the weasels on Spring watch?