Mustelidae

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mustelidae

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Mustelidae
2. What is the habitat?Global distribution across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments, excluding Antarctica and Australia
3. How many species are in the weasel family?There are more than 50 different species of mustelids, found in almost every land and water habitat on Earth except Antarctica and Australia.
4. What special body parts help mustelids live in water?Water-loving mustelids like otters have thick fur to stay warm, webbed feet to swim fast, and they can hold their breath for long times while hunting.

Piscivorous: An animal that primarily eats fish.
Keystone Predator: A predator species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.
Miocene Epoch: A geological epoch that lasted from about 23 to 5.3 million years ago, a period of significant mammalian diversification.