Weasel

Weasels are Britian’s smallest and most numerous carnivores. They are reated to otters and stoats, which is obvious due to their long body and short legs. They have a brown back and a white throat and belly, with shorter tail than a stoat’s. They live in various habitats such as woodland, grassland, moorland and farmland. Their diet consists of mice, voles, and small birds and they need to eat roughly a third of their own body weight daily. Weasels are thought to be common, but there is a lack of reliable evidence in their numbers. The loss of hedgerows across the UK is a factor that could have a negative impact on this species because they use them for cover when moving around their territory.

• The fresher a sample is, the more likely the test will be able to extract viable DNA.
• A dropping sample with sufficient biological material to be used as a reserve is required in case the extraction is unsuccessful the first time.