Mustela nivalis
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English: Weasel
German: Mauswiesel
French: Belette
Spanish: Comadreja
Distribution areas
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The weasel is found throughout Europe
and North Asia, with the exception of the
most northerly areas.
Description of the fur
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The skins are from 14 to 15.5 cm long. The surface structure
The tail is about 4.5 cm. The coat is of the skin, 200x
red-brown in colour, but the belly is
white. In the winter season the white areas increase, and cover the sides of
the body. The undercoat layer is not distinguishable. The length of the
longest hairs is up to 7 mm; the shafts are straight.
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Mustela nivalis
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English: Weasel
German: Mauswiesel
French: Belette
Spanish: Comadreja
Structure of the hair
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The microscopic structure of the skin
surface is furrowed and the hair follicles
are wide with straight edges. In the
follicles are clusters of 3 to 7 hairs.
The fine fur fibres are circular and, in
the upper parts of the shaft, elliptical in The cuticular structure
cross-section. The diameter is in the range of the fine fibres, 600x
of 7 to 12 µm. The cuticular scales are
cornet-like at the bottom, but petal-like in most of the hair shaft. The
scale surface is smooth and the margins are straight. The medullary column is
narrow, unbroken and central symmetrical-shaped in the cross-sectional
outline. The overall structure of the medulla is of the uniserial ladder type
with an amorphous infilling substance.
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Mustela nivalis
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English: Weasel
German: Mauswiesel
French: Belette
Spanish: Comadreja
The intermediate fibres are elliptical
in cross-section and the diameter of these
fibres is 20 to 50 µm. The cuticular scales
are wavelike in shape with a smooth surface
and straight scale margins. The medulla is
wide, unbroken and central symmetrical
-shaped in cross-section. This medulla is of
the uniserial ladder type with an amorphous
infilling material. A group of the fine hairs,
2000x
The guard hairs are elliptical in cross
-sectional outline. Their diameter is in the range of 45 to 80 µm. The
cuticular scales are crenated, tile-like in shape with a smooth surface and
the rippled scale margins. The medulla is wide, central symmetrical-shaped in
cross-section and longitudinally unbroken. The overall medullar structure is
of the lattice type with an amorphous infilling substance.
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Mustela nivalis
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English: Weasel
German: Mauswiesel
French: Belette
Spanish: Comadreja
The cuticular structure
of the fine fibres, 2000x
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Mustela nivalis
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English: Weasel
German: Mauswiesel
French: Belette
Spanish: Comadreja
Transverse section
of a guard hair, 600x
Numerical code for weasel skin structure
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Surface of the skin: 3-2-3
Fine fur fibres: 1.2-11.5-1-1-3-1-1-1-8-7.12-3.5
Intermediate fibres: 2-7-1-1-2-1-1-1-8-20.51-4.6
Guard hairs: 2-4-1-2-2-1-1-8-8-45.81-5.7
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