ITIS - Report: Mustela

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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):	Neovison Baryshnikov and Abramov, 1997
		Grammogale Cabrera, 1940
		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:	2018

Taxonomic Hierarchy


	Kingdom	Animalia – Animal, animaux, animals
	Subkingdom	Bilateria – triploblasts
	Infrakingdom	Deuterostomia
	Phylum	Chordata – cordés, cordado, chordates
	Subphylum	Vertebrata – vertebrado, vertébrés, vertebrates
	Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
	Superclass	Tetrapoda
	Class	Mammalia Linnaeus, 1758 – mammifères, mamífero, mammals
	Subclass	Theria Parker and Haswell, 1897
	Infraclass	Eutheria Gill, 1872
	Order	Carnivora Bowdich, 1821 – cachorro do mato, carnívoro, gato do mato, lontra, carnivores, carnivores
	Suborder	Caniformia Kretzoi, 1938 – dog-like carnivores
	Family	Mustelidae G. Fischer von Waldheim, 1817 – mustelids
	Subfamily	Mustelinae G. Fischer von Waldheim, 1817 – minks, polecats, ermines, ferrets, weasels
	Genus	Mustela Linnaeus, 1758 – polecats, ermines, ferrets, minks, weasels
		Direct Children:
	Species	Mustela africana Desmarest, 1818 – Tropical Weasel, Amazon Weasel
	Species	Mustela altaica Pallas, 1811 – Mountain Weasel
	Species	Mustela erminea Linnaeus, 1758 – Ermine, hermine
	Species	Mustela eversmanii Lesson, 1827 – Steppe Polecat
	Species	Mustela felipei Izor and de la Torre, 1978 – Colombian Weasel, Don Felipe's Weasel
	Species	Mustela frenata Lichtenstein, 1831 – Long-tailed Weasel, belette à longue queue, Comadreja cola larga
	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 macrodon (Prentis, 1903) – Sea Mink
	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
	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
	Species	Mustela vison Schreber, 1777 – American Mink, vison d'Amérique

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):	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

Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Integrated Taxonomic Information System - Report