If you see an African striped weasel, the very first word that may come to mind is "skunk." If I saw one of these guys walking around in the woods, I would have naturally assumed it was a skunk, and this is due to its very distinct black-and-white coloring scheme. However, they are not skunks, nor will they ever be skunks. Now, does that mean if you realize that you have found an African striped weasel that it is an acceptable thing to run over and give it a cuddle? No. Please do not do this. You will smell terrible for a week. Also, what are you doing in Africa anyways?
The African striped weasel--in fact--comes from southernmost Africa, and is almost entirely nocturnal. Their size is remarkably smaller than the skunk being only 13 inches from head to tail (contrasted with the skunk's 37 inches). This actually makes them one of the smallest mammalian carnivores in Africa. So, yes, they are very tiny, but as I said earlier, they are not meant for petting. Their tails work exactly like the skunk's do, and likely even a bit worse. The stink spray is really only a defensive measure, and I say this because these little musties are very good hunters in the wild.
They almost entirely eat rodents--mice, rats, it doesn't matter. They go after the big and small ones about equally. They hunt by sneaking up on them--a very weaselly thing to do--and then pouncing upon their prey with their long canine teeth. After they get a good strong hold on the rodent, they swing up their back feet and tear into them with their hind claws. This is similar to how cats kill, and it is very effective.
The African striped weasels are almost always solitary, but you may find it interesting that they will team up to make burrows for each other. Isn't that friendly? I'm unsure if it really is. In some ways, I feel like the helping weasel runs off saying, "Well, I've helped you out. Please, don't ever call me again." It's a miracle that they help each other at all, if you think about it.
Males really dislike other males. They are very territorial, and two males running into each other almost always means a fight. Once again, they act very cat like when they fluff up their fur and screech at the offending party for a few minutes. They make fake dashes towards them only to fall back--something akin to a warning shot. Eventually, there will be a fight, and the winner gets to keep the territory. A prompt respraying will then be in order--another reason you should not be in Africa right now.
Guess what?! I found fiction for this guy! No, I am serious! There is African folklore about a family that cut off the nose of this musty--which we all can agree is a really mean thing to do. By some form of magic, the nose on him grew back two shades lighter in color. The family who perpetrated the cruel act was cursed with misfortunes for all their days, and what's more, this story seems to have coined an expression: "A weasel's nose is not to be trifled with."
Personally, I like how these guys are so small, yet so aggressive. Skunks always seemed so lazy and indifferent. The African striped weasel goes out and seeks its own fortune! I actually see them as swashbuckling heroes--only really short ones. They are little fellows that are surprisingly clever and bold, but they just never get along with others. They really are an anti-social bunch; although, as we saw with the burrow, they likely could make temporary deals with their own kind. What do you think?
Weasels will always be weasels--no matter where they come from. They are sneaky and cruel, but they don't always have to be the bad guy. If we open our minds and let our imaginations loose, we'll find that there are many ways to interpret the world around us, and if you think about it, that is where we get all our our great works of fiction.
Thank you for reading this blog. If you enjoyed it, you can comment below, or you can email me at tooie@tooiekangaroo.com. That's all folks!
They look like weasels masquerading as skunks. Of course, certain behavioral traits are similar to cats. But in the end, they are just sneaky little weasels.
ReplyDeleteSneaky weasel is sneaky. *snicker snicker*
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