Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley.
| www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
P. De Benedicts
1965
Least weasel
29 July Barrow, Alaska - She carried the young by its side of
the rope and the young beast was clearly and roughly
dragged along; the 4 stayed to runways while carrying
the young. After about 1-2 seconds, the 4 returned,
repeated the procedure and carried off a 2nd young
weasel the same way; the jaeger returned at this
time so the 4 ditched the weasel under some cuttings
and hid; the jaegers moved off, and the 4 came
back to us and going through the same procedure,
carried off a 3rd young weasel, making it to a hole
about 20 from the hole the 1st young was taken to, and
here was cornered by the jaeger. She kept popping up
and going down & and the jaeger stayed off; they
were scared off by one of the small people and the
weasel took this opportunity to go after the ground that
had been ditched, getting it to the little to which she
broke the 2nd young. She was again cornered by the jaegers,
both of the pair standing about 1 foot off; the weasel
went through the same procedure of popping up and
down and the jaegers were clearly hesitant to
attack. After about a minute of this it appeared the
weasel took the initiative and attacked the jaeger,
running towards the jaeger and jumping towards
the jaeger's throat. The jaeger balked off and the
4 soon left. The weasel over played her hand because
the jaeger eventually got hold of the weasel, after 1-2
minutes, holding it behind its head, and flying up
about 15 feet; the weasel squirmed and the jaeger