This prehistoric ‘giant weasel’ was the size of a jaguar and could crush bone – and distantly related to the world’s smallest carnivore

What connects stoats, badgers, otters and a bone-crushing giant weasel? Stuart Blackman takes a look at the incredible Mustelidae family...

• Can you identify these mustelids? Take the quiz
• Meet the fisher cat, which is not a cat and doesn't eat fish

What is a mustelid?

Mustelid describes any mammal belonging to the family of carnivores called the Mustelidae: weasels, stoats, martens, polecats, otters, badgers, wolverines and others. These agile, pugnacious predators have a reputation for punching above their weight. The least weasel, a familiar UK species, can take down a rabbit five times its size.

What's the largest mustelid?

The largest mustelid is the sea otter (Enhydra lutris). The marine mammal measures around 1m long and weighs around 25–45kg.

What's the smallest mustelid?

The smallest mustelid is the least weasel (Mustela nivalis), which measures around 20cm long and can weigh only 25g. It is also the world's smallest carnivore.

What was the largest ever mustelid?

The largest mustelid ever known is the prehistoric Megalictis which existed in North America during the Miocene period. As described in the journal PLOS One, Megalictis ferox is thought to have resembled a jaguar-sized ferret, weighing up to 60–100kg. Analysis of its cranium suggests that, similarly to modern hyenas and wolverines, it could crush bone.

• Which animals eat bone, and how do they do it?

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Main image: sequential reconstruction of the head of Megalictis ferox. A life appearance; B, reconstructed skull and mandible; C, Skull and mandible. Artwork by Adam Hartstone-Rose. From the study Megalictis, the Bone-Crushing Giant Mustelid (Carnivora, Mustelidae, Oligobuninae) from the Early Miocene of North America.