Mustiladae (the weasel family)
Mustelids are a diverse family of carnivorous mammals that includes weasels, otters, badgers, and wolverines.
Mink
• American mink – Neovison vison
Neo comes from the Greek word for “new“.
Vison comes from a French word for “marten” or “weasel“.
Thus, the composite term essentially means “new weasel” or “new marten“.
The genus Neovison was established to differentiate the American mink (Neovison vison, now often reclassified as Neogale vison) and the extinct sea mink (Neovison macrodon) from the traditional weasel genus Mustela, which is the actual Latin word for “weasel“. The classification is currently under debate, with many authorities now placing these species in the genus Neogale
Ferret
• Black-footed ferret – American pole cat
• Ferret – Mustela putorius furo
Putoriuscomes from New Latin, combining the Latin word “putēre“meaning “to stink” and the suffix “-orius“. This name was chosen because of the pungent, foul-smelling liquid that polecats (such as the European polecat, Mustela putorius) secrete for defense.
Furo relates to “thief,” from the Latin fur or furo meaning “thief,”which is how the domestic ferret gets its scientific name Mustela putorius furo.
• Black-footed ferret – American pole cat
Badger
• American Badger – Taxidea taxus
• Badger – Meline
• Honey Badger – Ratel
Otter
• North american otter – Lontra canadensis
Panda
• Giant panda – Ailuropodine -> Ailuropoda melanoleuca
• Red panda – Ailurus fulgent (Within this superfamily, the red panda is the only living member of its own distinct family, Ailuridae)
Ailurus fultens is the scientific genus for the red panda
The name comes from the Ancient Greek word for “cat” (ailouros), referencing its external appearance, and was coined by French zoologist Frédéric Cuvier in 1825.
Fulgens in Latin means “shining” or “glittering” referring to its fur
Weasel
• Short-tailed weasel or stoat – Mustela erminea
Mustela” is a Latin word for “weasel“
The name Ermine means “weasel,” specifically referring to the animal with white winter fur.
It also carries strong symbolic meanings of purity, nobility, and honor, due to the animal’s association with royalty and its legendary aversion to soiling its white coat. The name’s origin is from the Old French word for the weasel or its fur
• Wolverine – Gulo gulo (largest member of the weasel family)
Gulo gulo is the scientific name for the wolverine, which translates from Latin to mean “glutton“. The name is fitting because the wolverine is known for its voracious appetite and is a powerful carnivore that eats both live prey and carrion.
Gulo is also the genus name for the wolverine, while gulo is the species name.
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