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Least Weasel (mander.xyz)
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[-] Eylrid@lemmy.world 77 points 11 months ago
[-] Rusty@lemmy.ca 20 points 11 months ago

Let's all vote for the lesser of two weasels.

[-] trxxruraxvr@lemmy.world 41 points 11 months ago

Only the smallest mammalian carnivore.

[-] chicken@lemmy.dbzer0.com 39 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Not even

It is a carnivorous rodent, dining on insects (such as grasshoppers), worms, spiders, centipedes, mantis, scorpions, snakes, and even other mice.

The southern grasshopper mouse has around a 3.5 to 5.0 inches (8.9–12.7 cm) long body

[Least weasel] Average body length in males is 130 to 260 mm (5 to 10 in), while females average 114 to 204 mm (4.5 to 8.0 in)

[-] lemming@sh.itjust.works 26 points 11 months ago

Well, if you want to head that way, there's Etruscan shrew. Less than 2 grams of weight and 4 cm of length.

[-] Madison420@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago

It's known for taking down prey larger than itself and I think holds the record for biggest disparity of weight predator to prey.

[-] explodicle@sh.itjust.works 7 points 11 months ago

I assumed they meant carnivora

[-] saltesc@lemmy.world 30 points 11 months ago

That's definitely not the world's smallest carnivore, but it is a small carnivore

[-] jol@discuss.tchncs.de 26 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

They probably meant carnivore mammal.

Edit: it's the smallest species of the carnivora order. So not the "smallest carnivore", but "smallest carnivorian".

[-] TheRealKuni@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago

Right? Shit, we got single-cell carnivores in this world.

[-] BroBot9000@lemmy.world 27 points 11 months ago

Any less weasel and BAM, got yourself a mouse.

[-] nickwitha_k@lemmy.sdf.org 26 points 11 months ago

Best mustelid. It's incredible that they are able to take rabbits as prey. And their strategy is absolutely amazing: confusion. They do their weasel war dance and the rabbit doesn't know what the fuck is going on until its neck is in the tiny mouth of a creature 1/10th its size.

[-] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 22 points 11 months ago

The problem is there isn't a Most Weasel.

[-] roguetrick@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago

I think that would be the wolverine.

[-] Nelots@lemm.ee 5 points 11 months ago

The superhero or the animal? Because I'm fine with either.

[-] jabathekek@sopuli.xyz 15 points 11 months ago
[-] DasFaultier@sh.itjust.works 23 points 11 months ago

And that unit shall be called "1 milliweasel".

[-] jabathekek@sopuli.xyz 11 points 11 months ago

Which is equivalent to 1x10^-3^ weasel or 1x10^-6^ kiloweasel.

[-] dactylotheca@suppo.fi 9 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)
[-] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 14 points 11 months ago

you can have

... I can has?
It's so cute!

[-] pelletbucket@lemm.ee 10 points 11 months ago

holy shit, I didn't think there was anything smaller than a stoat in that family

[-] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 10 points 11 months ago
[-] The_Che_Banana@beehaw.org 2 points 11 months ago

Leasel al Gahib!

[-] witty_username@feddit.nl 9 points 11 months ago
[-] dactylotheca@suppo.fi 10 points 11 months ago

It's less than a stoat

[-] trolske@feddit.org 7 points 11 months ago

They are pretty metal. They kill their prey by literally crushing the skull.
I've seen them hunt and once they get a hold of the prey, the struggle is over in seconds.

[-] Semjaza@lemmynsfw.com 7 points 11 months ago

That thing is a killing machine!

[-] mycodesucks@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

A quantum of stoat.

[-] A_A@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Average body length in males is 130 to 260 mm, while females average 114 to 204 mm.
Males weigh 36 to 250 g, while females weigh 29 to 117 g.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_weasel

[-] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

Aka long hamsterat

[-] JimSamtanko@lemm.ee 3 points 11 months ago
[-] lily@glaceon.social 3 points 11 months ago

@fossilesque
it's the world's smallest carnivoran, not the smallest carnivore, which would probably be some form of insect.
@kopper

[-] seaQueue@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

Cute cat snake

[-] mayo_cider@hexbear.net 3 points 11 months ago

Knowing weasels at least one of those has taken down a moose

[-] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 3 points 11 months ago

Minimum Viable Predator

this post was submitted on 17 Jul 2024
796 points (99.3% liked)

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