Some mustelids such as various otter species are common in captivity, but others such as martens, zorillas, and the smaller species are seen much less often. What unusual mustelids have people seen, or would like to see?
Mustelids in captivity
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Black footed ferrets are always nice to see (particularly since they've been extinct!). Never seen but would like to: wolverine
Long-tailed Weasel and the Newfoundland subspecies of American Pine Marten are probably my most unusual.
1) Where did you see Zorilla?
2) Naming random groups of mustelids isn't quite what this thread is intended for
drill
Well-Known Member
sorry. Rainforest Adventures Zoo in Tennessee1) Where did you see Zorilla?
2) Naming random groups of mustelids isn't quite what this thread is intended for
It would be interesting to discover whether the collection genuinely holds the species, as it is not unknown for other species to be passed off as zorilla got any photographs?
got any photographs?
It would be interesting to discover whether the collection genuinely holds the species, as it is not unknown for other species to be passed off as zorilla
This is an interesting facility, non-AZA and lacking a gallery on Zoochat. Looking them up, a photo claimed to be African Genet came up on a website promoting them! No clue if it's accurate, guessing TLD might have more input on this? Attached the photo. Link to the website: RainForest Adventures
Other photos include a kid petting an adult African Crested Porcupine, and a girl with what I think is a Salmon-crested Cockatoo on her arm while another pets it. The bird obviously looks nervous and ready to bite. Various lemurs, Golden-headed Lion Tamarin, Serval, macaws, and monitors are the most common animals turning up in photos. No photos of any mustelid seen. The only mustelid their website claims is simply ferret.
@drill any further information on the Zorilla?
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Mustelids I've seen:
-Cape Clawless Otter
-Oriental Small-Clawed Otter
-Guianan Tayra
-Southern Sea Otter
-Eurasian Wolverine
-Spotted-Necked Otter
-North American River Otter
-European Otter
-Indochinese Smooth-Coated Otter
-American Marten
-Northern Yellow-Throated Marten
-European Marten
-European Badger
-South African Ratel
-Central African Ratel
-Californian Long-Tailed Weasel
-Spanish Mink
-Middle Russian Mink
-Black-Footed Ferret
-Welsh Polecat
-Fisher
-Northern Giant Otter
-Mexican Badger
-Great Lakes Badger
-Siberian Weasel
-Zorilla
-Greater Grison
-Beech Marten
-Marbled Polecat
29 taxa (30 if you count Domestic Ferret), not bad
~Thylo
-Cape Clawless Otter
-Oriental Small-Clawed Otter
-Guianan Tayra
-Southern Sea Otter
-Eurasian Wolverine
-Spotted-Necked Otter
-North American River Otter
-European Otter
-Indochinese Smooth-Coated Otter
-American Marten
-Northern Yellow-Throated Marten
-European Marten
-European Badger
-South African Ratel
-Central African Ratel
-Californian Long-Tailed Weasel
-Spanish Mink
-Middle Russian Mink
-Black-Footed Ferret
-Welsh Polecat
-Fisher
-Northern Giant Otter
-Mexican Badger
-Great Lakes Badger
-Siberian Weasel
-Zorilla
-Greater Grison
-Beech Marten
-Marbled Polecat
29 taxa (30 if you count Domestic Ferret), not bad
~Thylo
That is a genet, likely Cape or Rusty-Spotted but I don't know the differences.
~Thylo
I know it's a genet, but I don't know what species. Considering any genet is rare in NA, curious to know what species it is.
Both are present in the private trade in the US, though Cape is the common one. Of course there are several other species kept and bred privately in Europe that could have made their way over here.
~Thylo
drill
Well-Known Member
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Looks like it could be a Zorilla. I don't know how to tell when it's curled up in a ball through.
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TLD's point is that there are several species labeled "Zorilla" in the private trade that aren't actually Zorilla. It could very well be one, but it could also be one of the striped weasels. Either way it's a super rare find.
~Thylo
Personal list after doublechecking:
American Badger
Long-tailed Weasel
American Mink
American Pine Marten (Newfoundland subspecies)
Asian Small-clawed Otter
North American River Otter
Cape Clawless Otter
Spot-necked Otter
Sea Otter
Also domestic ferret if you count it.
Been unlucky enough to miss Giant Otter and Ratel... have really good luck with Sea Otter both captive and wild though.
American Badger
Long-tailed Weasel
American Mink
American Pine Marten (Newfoundland subspecies)
Asian Small-clawed Otter
North American River Otter
Cape Clawless Otter
Spot-necked Otter
Sea Otter
Also domestic ferret if you count it.
Been unlucky enough to miss Giant Otter and Ratel... have really good luck with Sea Otter both captive and wild though.
Kakapo
Well-Known Member
It can vary a lot depending of the definition of "unusual", but I think that maybe small-clawed otters are the only species that we can call "usual" in zoos, so everything else would be "unusual". In my case this would include:
-Chinese ferret-badger (Melogale moschata)
-Clawless otter (Aonyx capensis)
-Eurasian badger (Meles meles)
-European mink (Mustela lutreola)
-Giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)
-Honey badger (Mellivora capensis cottoni)
-North American river otter (Lutra canadensis)
-Sea otter (Enhydra lutris)
-Tayra (Eira barbara)
-Wolverine (Gulo gulo)
-Yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula)
In the wild, also least weasel (Mustela nivalis)
Pretty much every species not seen/photographed before, but the most wished species would be:
African striped weasel (Poecilogale albinucha)
Back-striped weasel (Mustela strigidorsa)
Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes)
Greater and lesser grisons (Galictis spp)
Hog badger (Arctonyx collaris)
Japanese badger (Meles anakuma)
Japanese marten (Martes melampus)
Malayan weasel (Mustela nudipes)
Nilgiri marten (Martes gwatkinsii)
Patagonian weasel (Lyncodon patagonicus)
Spot-necked otter (Lutra maculicollis)
Zorrilla (Ictonyx striatus)
And my most wished of all: Marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna)
Zorilla and Marbled Polecat are definitely my own top 2 mustelids to see. Incidentally, this blog is really great on mammals and has a long series on all the worlds mustelids starting here:
Synapsida: The World of Weasels
Synapsida: The World of Weasels
I think it is Rusty-Spotted, but cannot be 100% certain - when I am back at home I shall check my copy of HMW to see if that helps pin it down.