Why do weasels fart? This is their secret weapon

Many people have had various "encounters" with weasels. Recently, the author heard that a weasel broke into a resident's home, was caught by a mousetrap, and suddenly farted, causing the house to stink. How toxic is the weasel's "stinky fart"? Why does it fart?

The weasel, also known as the yellow weasel, is commonly known as Huang Daxian and Huangpizi.

As a carnivorous animal that is good at living in urban environments, weasels will release "stinky farts" when attacked. In fact, "stinky farts" are not a gas, but a light yellow liquid containing ethyl mercaptan, which has a very strong odor. It is generally stored in special glands on both sides of the weasel's anus - the stink glands. The stink glands are a tool for weasels to communicate information and defend against natural enemies. When weasels encounter danger, they release it instantly and take the opportunity to escape.

Ethyl mercaptan released by weasels is a flammable substance with certain toxicity. When people accidentally smell it, they will feel dizzy and nauseous. If they inhale too much, they will have difficulty breathing or even death. Therefore, when people encounter weasels releasing "stinky farts", they should cover their mouths and noses and move away quickly to avoid inhaling too much.

The weasel is a small carnivore that weighs less than 1,000 grams even when it is an adult, usually 500-900 grams. The weasel has a slender body, yellow-brown or brownish-yellow fur, a small head, black spots on the face, short and wide ears, a long neck, short limbs, lighter fur on the abdomen, and a long, fluffy tail.

Weasels are extremely alert, have a keen sense of smell, are flexible and quick in movement. They can not only climb trees but also swim. Once they find anything abnormal in the surrounding environment, they will quickly escape and disappear in an instant.

Weasels are widely distributed in my country and can be found in both the south and the north. They live in a variety of habitats and have strong adaptability. They can be found in mountainous areas, hills, plains, bushes, grasslands, river valleys and other areas. They can also survive and reproduce in villages and cities.

In the Beijing Elk Park, infrared cameras captured the weasels' activities in a variety of habitats, including woods, bushes, reed ponds, pond edges, islands, grasslands, feed warehouses, office areas, enclosures, and grasslands. Weasels were also captured many times swimming in water.

As the saying goes, "When a weasel pays a New Year's visit to a chicken, it has no good intentions." Since weasels prey on poultry, many people call them "chicken thieves."

Chickens, ducks, pigeons, etc. raised by people can all become food for weasels. Elk Park once raised 200 pigeons. When counting the number in the morning, it was always less than the day before. In order to catch the "pigeon thief", Elk Park installed automatic infrared cameras, which captured images of weasels entering the pigeon house many times at night. Once, a turkey raised in Elk Park was hunted. Through the infrared camera, it was found that the real "murderer" who hunted the turkey was a goshawk, but there were also weasels that came to eat at night.

In the wild, the main prey of weasels is various rodents, including brown rats, black-lined field mice, mice, etc., which account for the majority of the weasel's food. According to relevant reports, a weasel can catch 6-7 mice in one night.

As a carnivorous animal, the weasel plays an irreplaceable role in controlling the number of its prey species, which is of great significance to maintaining the balance of the ecosystem. The weasel is a natural enemy of rodents, and its ability to control rodents is also beneficial to agricultural production.

The fur of weasels is soft and warm, golden and shiny, and is a high-quality raw material for making fur coats. Its tail hair can be made into brushes called wolf hair, which has high economic value. In addition, it is known as a "chicken thief", so it has become a target for hunters and has been hunted in large numbers.

At present, weasels are classified as one of the country's "three-haves" (referring to terrestrial wild animals with important ecological, scientific and social value that are protected by the state). They cannot be harmed at will or hunted without authorization.

(The author Zhong Zhenyu is the deputy director of the Beijing Biodiversity Conservation Research Center)