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Mustela  Linnaeus, 1758
Taxonomic Serial No.: 180552

(Download Help) Mustela TSN 180552

 Taxonomy and Nomenclature
       
  Kingdom: Animalia  
  Taxonomic Rank: Genus  
  Synonym(s): Lutreola Wagner, 1841
  
    Putorius Cuvier, 1817
  
    Vison Gray, 1843
  
  Common Name(s): polecats [English]
  
    ermines [English]
  
    ferrets [English]
  
    minks [English]
  
    weasels [English]
  
       
  Taxonomic Status:    
  Current Standing: valid  
       
  Data Quality Indicators:    
  Record Credibility Rating: verified - standards met  
  Global Species Completeness: complete   
  Latest Record Review: 2025   
       

 Taxonomic Hierarchy
       
 KingdomAnimalia  – Animal, animaux, animals  
    SubkingdomBilateria  – triploblasts  
       InfrakingdomDeuterostomia   
          PhylumChordata  – cordés, cordado, chordates  
             SubphylumVertebrata  – vertebrado, vertébrés, vertebrates  
                InfraphylumGnathostomata   
                   SuperclassTetrapoda   
                      ClassMammalia Linnaeus, 1758 – mammifères, mamífero, mammals  
                         SubclassTheria Parker and Haswell, 1897  
                            InfraclassEutheria Gill, 1872  
                               OrderCarnivora Bowdich, 1821 – cachorro do mato, carnívoro, gato do mato, lontra, carnivores, carnivores  
                                  SuborderCaniformia Kretzoi, 1938 – dog-like carnivores  
                                     FamilyMustelidae G. Fischer von Waldheim, 1817 – mustelids  
                                        SubfamilyMustelinae G. Fischer von Waldheim, 1817 – minks, polecats, ermines, ferrets, weasels  
                                           GenusMustela Linnaeus, 1758 – polecats, ermines, ferrets, minks, weasels  
    Direct Children:  
                                              Species Mustela aistoodonnivalis Wu and Kao, 1991 – Sichuan Weasel, Missing-toothed Pygmy Weasel 
                                              Species Mustela altaica Pallas, 1811 – Mountain Weasel, Altai Mountain Weasel 
                                              Species Mustela erminea Linnaeus, 1758 – Ermine, hermine 
                                              Species Mustela eversmanii Lesson, 1827 – Steppe Polecat 
                                              Species Mustela furo Linnaeus, 1758 – domestic ferret 
                                              Species Mustela itatsi Temminck, 1844 – Japanese Weasel 
                                              Species Mustela kathiah Hodgson, 1835 – Yellow-bellied Weasel 
                                              Species Mustela lutreola (Linnaeus, 1761) – European Mink 
                                              Species Mustela lutreolina Robinson and Thomas, 1917 – Indonesian Mountain Weasel 
                                              Species Mustela nigripes (Audubon and Bachman, 1851) – Black-footed Ferret 
                                              Species Mustela nivalis Linnaeus, 1766 – Least Weasel, belette pygmée 
                                              Species Mustela nudipes Desmarest, 1822 – Malayan Weasel, Malay Weasel 
                                              Species Mustela putorius Linnaeus, 1758 – European Polecat 
                                              Species Mustela sibirica Pallas, 1773 – Siberian Weasel 
                                              Species Mustela strigidorsa Gray, 1853 – Back-striped Weasel, Stripe-backed Weasel 
       

 References
       
  Expert(s):    
  Expert: Alan Shabel  
  Notes: Continuing Lecturer, Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, USA   
  Reference for: Mustela    
       
  Expert: Alfred L. Gardner  
  Notes: Curator of North American mammals and Chief of Mammal Section, National Biological Service, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA   
  Reference for: Mustela    
       
  Expert: W. Christopher Wozencraft  
  Notes: Division of Natural Sciences, Bethel College, 1001 W. McKinley Ave., Mishawaka, IN 46545   
  Reference for: Mustela    
       
  Other Source(s):    
  Source: NODC Taxonomic Code, database (version 8.0)  
  Acquired: 1996   
  Notes:    
  Reference for: Mustela   
       
  Publication(s):    
  Author(s)/Editor(s): Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, and A. L. Gardner  
  Publication Date: 1987   
  Article/Chapter Title: Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada   
  Journal/Book Name, Vol. No.: Resource Publication, no. 166   
  Page(s): 79   
  Publisher: United States Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service   
  Publication Place: Washington, D.C., USA   
  ISBN/ISSN:    
  Notes:    
  Reference for: Mustela   
       
  Author(s)/Editor(s): Harding, Larisa E., and Felisa A. Smith  
  Publication Date: 2009   
  Article/Chapter Title: Mustela or Vison? Evidence for the taxonomic status of the American mink and a distinct biogeographic radiation of American weasels   
  Journal/Book Name, Vol. No.: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, vol. 52, no. 3   
  Page(s): 632-642   
  Publisher:    
  Publication Place:    
  ISBN/ISSN: 1055-7903   
  Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2009.05.036   
  Reference for: Mustela   
       
  Author(s)/Editor(s): Larivière, S., and A. P. Jennings / Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier, eds.  
  Publication Date: 2009   
  Article/Chapter Title: Family Mustelidae (Weasels and relatives)   
  Journal/Book Name, Vol. No.: Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Vol. 1: Carnivores   
  Page(s): 564-656   
  Publisher: Lynx Edicions   
  Publication Place: Barcelona, Spain   
  ISBN/ISSN: 978-84-96553-49   
  Notes:    
  Reference for: Mustela   
       
  Author(s)/Editor(s): Patterson, Bruce D., Héctor E. Ramírez Chaves, Júlio F. Vilela, André E. R. Soares, and Felix Grewe  
  Publication Date: 2021   
  Article/Chapter Title: On the nomenclature of the American clade of weasels (Carnivora: Mustelidae)   
  Journal/Book Name, Vol. No.: Journal of Animal Diversity, vol. 3, no. 2   
  Page(s): 1-8   
  Publisher:    
  Publication Place:    
  ISBN/ISSN: 2676-685X   
  Notes: doi: 10.29252/JAD.2021.3.2.1   
  Reference for: Mustela   
       
  Author(s)/Editor(s): Wilson, Don E., and DeeAnn M. Reeder, eds.  
  Publication Date: 1993   
  Article/Chapter Title:    
  Journal/Book Name, Vol. No.: Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 2nd ed., 3rd printing   
  Page(s): xviii + 1207   
  Publisher: Smithsonian Institution Press   
  Publication Place: Washington, DC, USA   
  ISBN/ISSN: 1-56098-217-9   
  Notes: Corrections were made to text at 3rd printing   
  Reference for: Mustela   
       
  Author(s)/Editor(s): Wilson, Don E., and DeeAnn M. Reeder, eds.  
  Publication Date: 2005   
  Article/Chapter Title:    
  Journal/Book Name, Vol. No.: Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 3rd ed., vols. 1 & 2   
  Page(s): 2142   
  Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press   
  Publication Place: Baltimore, Maryland, USA   
  ISBN/ISSN: 0-8018-8221-4   
  Notes:    
  Reference for: Mustela   
       

 Geographic Information
       
  Geographic Division:    
       
  Jurisdiction/Origin:    
 

 

    

 Comments
       
  Comment: Harding and Smith (2009:639) note that the American Mink (treated as Neovison vison in Wilson and Reeder eds. 2005), together with America weasels M. frenata, felipei, and africana, represents a New World radiation distinct from Eurasian Mustela. They propose these species be recognized as a genus separate from Mustela, arguing that, despite an earlier claim that it could not be used for a North American group, the senior available & applicable genus name for the group should be Vison Gray, 1843. Since Harding & Smith also argued that additional studies should be undertaken before taking this action, ITIS is currently recognizing both the New World and Old World radiations of Mustela in genus Mustela pending further research  
 

 

    

 
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