A suggestion that weasels sometimes obtain the prey killed by hawks is
offered by Criddle and Criddle (1925:147) who write: "Hawks are not
always the aggressors, as is shown by an incident reported by Mr. H.
L. Seamans, of Lethbridge, Alberta. Mr. Seamans noted a large buzzard
suddenly fly straight upwards from a fence post, and then alight upon
another one some distance away. A little while afterward this bird once
more arose in the same manner as before, and presently repeated the
performance again. An investigation then followed and revealed that a
Long-tailed Weasel was following the hawk from post to post.
"We should hardly expect a weasel to attempt to capture a bird of the
above type. On the other hand, it is possible that these animals might
be able to startle a hawk sufficiently to cause it to drop its prey,
which would thus provide food for the weasel."
The following frequency index is compiled from the foregoing data on
prey of _Mustela frenata_.
Moles (family _Talpidae_), 5
Shrews (family _Soricidae_), 26
Pigmy weasel (_Mustela rixosa_), 1
Ground squirrels (genus _Citellus_), 23
Chipmunks (genus _Tamias_), 38
Tree squirrel (possibly all _Tamiasciurus_), 8
Flying squirrel (genus _Glaucomys_), 1
Pocket gophers (family _Geomyidae_), 34
Mice (order _Rodentia_), 96
Harvest mice (genus _Reithrodontomys_), 36
Grasshopper mouse (genus _Onychomys_), 1
Deer mice (genus _Peromyscus_), 235
Cotton rat (genus _Sigmodon_), 2
Wood rats (genus _Neotoma_), 14
Meadow mice (genus _Microtus_), 248
Muskrat (genus _Ondatra_), 1
Old World rats (genus _Rattus_), 19
House mouse (genus _Mus_), 1
Jumping mouse (genus _Zapus_), 5
Varying hare (_Lepus americanus_), 5
Rabbits (genus _Sylvilagus_), 48
small birds, 32
chickens, 17
lizard, 1
snakes, 4
insects, 3
More significant than the above compilation, of course, are the results
of careful studies of the food of the long-tailed weasel in restricted
areas. Examples of such studies are those of Polderboer, Kuhn and
Hendrickson (1941) and Hamilton (1933:333).
According to Hamilton's (1933:332) observations on captive weasels,
"There seems to be little relative difference in the amount they eat,
regardless of their activities.
"In general, more food is taken in summer than in winter. Usually about
a third their weight every 24 hours is eaten, but a growing young
weasel will consume much more. A young male _noveboracensis_, weighing
145 grams, consumed an entire chipmunk, fur and bones, weighing 85
grams, in 24 hours. A day later it ate all of a partly grown rat, 105
grams, in the same length of time."
Moore (1945:253) records that a captive male that he obtained at
Gainesville, Florida, consumed, on the average, between 63 and 70 grams
of flesh and blood per day. The weasel itself weighed approximately 320
grams.
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