Mustela africana

(Tropical Weasel)

Overview:

Conservation Status

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Population Trend:

Unknown

History:

1994-Indeterminate (Groombridge 1994)

Threats:

1 Habitat Loss/Degradation (human induced) (ongoing)
3 Harvesting (hunting/gathering) (ongoing)

For info on these threat codes, see here.

Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia Linnaeus, 1758 - Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
  - Subkingdom: Bilateria (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
    - Branch: Deuterostomia Grobben, 1908 - Deuterostomes
      - Infrakingdom: Chordonia (Haeckel, 1874) Cavalier-Smith, 1998
        Phylum: Chordata Bateson, 1885 - Chordates
        Subphylum: Vertebrata Cuvier, 1812 - Vertebrates
        Infraphylum: Gnathostomata auct. - Jawed Vertebrates
        Superclass: Tetrapoda Goodrich, 1930 - Tetrapods
        Class: Mammalia Linnaeus, 1758 - Mammals
        Subclass: Theriiformes (Rowe, 1988) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
        Infraclass: Holotheria (Wible et al., 1995) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
        Superlegion: Trechnotheria McKenna, 1975
        Legion: Cladotheria McKenna, 1975
        Sublegion: Zatheria McKenna, 1975
        Infralegion: Tribosphenida (McKenna, 1975) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997
        Supercohort: Theria (Parker & Haswell, 1897) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997 - Therians
        Cohort: Placentalia (Owen, 1837) M.C. McKenna & S.K. Bell, 1997 - Placentals
        Superorder: Preptotheria (McKenna, 1975) McKenna, in Stucky & McKenna, in Benton, ed., 1993
        Grandorder: Ferae (Linnaeus, 1758) McKenna, 1975:41
        Order: Carnivora Bowdich, 1821 - Carnivores
        Suborder: Caniformia Kretzoi, 1943
        Infraorder: Arctoidea Flower, 1869
        Family: Mustelidae (Fischer de Waldheim, 1817) Swainson, 1835:321 - Weasels, Badgers, Skunks, and Otters
        Subfamily: Mustelinae - Martens, Weasels
        Genus: Mustela Linnaeus, 1758 - Ermines, Ferrets
        Specific name: africana Desmarest, 1818
        Scientific name: Mustela africana Desmarest, 1818

Notes:

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 28-Oct-2003

Physical Description

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Distribution

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Range and Population

South America

Habitat

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Biome

Terrestrial

Ecology

Reported from humid riparian forests.

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Mustela:

There are approximately 270 species and subspecies in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: M. affinis · M. affinis affinis · M. africana (Tropical Weasel) · M. africana africana · M. africana stolzmanni · M. allegheniensis · M. altaica (Mountain Weasel) · M. altaica raddei · M. altaica temon · M. altaica tenon · M. americana · M. arizonensis · M. aureoventris · M. buwaldi · M. canigula · M. cicognanii · M. cicognanii cicognanii · M. ermine cicognanii · M. erminea (Ermine) · M. erminea (cf invicta) · M. erminea aestiva · M. erminea alascensis · M. erminea alleghensis · M. erminea anguinae (Vancouver Island Ermine) · M. erminea arctica · M. erminea artica · M. erminea bangis · M. erminea bangsi · M. erminea celenda (Prince of Wales Island Ermine) · M. erminea cicognani · M. erminea cicognanii · M. erminea cicognanni · M. erminea cicognia · M. erminea cigoganni · M. erminea cocognanii · M. erminea erminea · M. erminea eskimo · M. erminea fallenda · M. erminea fellenda · M. erminea gulosa · M. erminea haidarum (Queen Charlotte Islands Ermine) · M. erminea hibernica · M. erminea hibernicus · M. erminea initis · M. erminea invicta · M. erminea invieta · M. erminea kadiacensis (Ermine) · M. erminea kadiascensis · M. erminea kanei · M. erminea kodiacensis · M. erminea minima · M. erminea murica · M. erminea muricus · M. erminea nippon · M. erminea noveboracensis · M. erminea olympica · M. erminea polaris · M. erminea richardsoni · M. erminea richardsonii · M. erminea rixosa · M. erminea salva · M. erminea seclusa (Ermine) · M. erminea semplei · M. erminea stabilis · M. erminea streatori · M. erminea subsp · M. erminea tobolica · M. erminea transbaikalica · M. erminia cicognanii · M. eversmanii · M. eversmanii eversmanii · M. eversmanii hungarica · M. eversmanni · M. eversmanni admiratus · M. eversmanni eversmanni · M. eversmanni pallidus · M. eversmanni satunini · M. eversmanni subsp · M. eversmanni tiarata · M. eversmanni x · M. eversmannii (Steppe Polecat) · M. eversmannii amurensis · M. eversmannii dauricus · M. eversmannii tiarata · M. felipei (Colombian Weasel) · M. felipeide la (Colombian Weasel) · M. flavigula kuatensis · M. flavigula peninsularis · M. foina · M. foina bunites · M. frenata (Long-Tailed Weasel) · M. frenata affinis · M. frenata agilis · M. frenata alfifrontalis · M. frenata alleni · M. frenata altifrontalis (Washington Long-Tailed Weasel) · M. frenata altifrontinalis · M. frenata altitrontalis · M. frenata arizonensis · M. frenata arthuri

Bibliography

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Groombridge, B. (ed.) 1994. 1994 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
Mace, G.M. and Balmford, A. 2000. Patterns and processes in contemporary mammalian extinction. In: A. Entwhistle and N. Dunstone (eds) Priorities for the Conservation of Mammalian Diversity. Has the Panda had its day?, pp. 27-52. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Small Carnivore Specialist Group. For more information, see the Specialist Group website
Wilson, Don E., and DeeAnn M. Reeder, eds. 1993. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 2nd ed., 3rd printing. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, DC, USA. xviii + 1207. ISBN: 1-56098-217-9.

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Notes

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Contributors:

Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 21, 2007.
Mustelid Specialist Group 1996. Mustela africana. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org . Downloaded on 20 October 2006.

Identifiers:

Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 621946
Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 1731632
Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 7819

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Last Revised: May 03, 2008