What Do Weasels Eat?

Weasels are the smallest carnivorous mammals in the world. They are often maligned for being sneaky critters that wreak havoc on domesticated chickens and other birds. Nevertheless, weasels occupy an important and necessary part of the food chain.

Weasels can be between 4 and 12 inches from nose to tail and weigh from a few ounces to almost one pound. Although their small size, flat-topped heads, and slinky bodies make them appear cuddly, weasels are actually ferocious predators. Continue reading to discover what weasels eat.

What Does a Weasel Eat?

Weasels live all around the world, including North America, Europe, and Asia. Weasels are carnivorous, opportunistic predators that require a high-protein diet to fuel their exceptionally fast metabolisms, often consuming 40-50% of their body weight daily. Because they burn energy rapidly, all weasels must hunt incessantly to avoid starvation. They hunt on the ground, in burrows, and in trees, taking whatever prey is available within their range. Regardless of their location, the main prey of weasels are rodents such as mice and voles. Other foods that weasels eat include lemmings, ducks, rabbits, chickens, songbirds, frogs, fish, turtles, hedgehogs, eggs, and insects.

How Do Weasels Hunt?

A weasel’s long, slim body and flat-topped head allow it to fit into small spaces. Thus, weasels can easily slither into chicken coops to kill and eat chickens, and they’re very capable of getting into other animals’ nests and burrows.

Their diminutive size may not appear intimidating to some animals, but weasels have been known to attack, kill, and consume animals several times their size. They will also kill more animals than they will eat at the time, frequently hiding surplus food for later consumption.

Weasels follow their prey by scent and sight. When they find potential prey, weasels will pounce on them while biting at the base of their skull. They use their forelegs to grasp their prey while using their hind legs to scratch and kick.

The weasel’s inclination to eat any suitable and abundant prey has made them useful to humans in some cases. Along with stoats, weasels have been introduced to some countries as a form of pest control.

Weasels and stoats were introduced in New Zealand to control pests, but while stoats have become widespread and are now a major threat to native wildlife, weasels have not thrived, likely due to the absence of abundant easy prey.

What Do Weasels Eat in the Winter?

Weasels are highly adapted to cold, northern climates and are found throughout Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. During the wintertime, weasels have to be more alert and dedicated to finding food.

They will often raid the burrows of other animals, especially rodents, to secure a meal. Weasels will often move closer to human settlements that have attracted mice and other pests, hunting them and taking portions back to their own dens.

Although many birds migrate for the season, weasels will attack those that remain, as well as other animals that are foraging.

What Do Baby Weasels Eat?

Baby weasels are called kittens and, like many mammals, begin their lives drinking milk from their mothers. Although they are born blind, deaf, and helpless, they begin to hunt with their mother at around 6 to 7 weeks of age and are considered highly capable hunters by the time they are 8 weeks old.

What Animals Eat Weasels?

Although weasels are certainly tough customers, they have a fair number of predators including:

• Eagles
• Hawks
• Owls
• Snakes
• Foxes
• Cats
• Dogs