Nebraska mammals

Least Weasel in Nebraska

Mustela nivalis

Native to Nebraska S5 Secure in Nebraska

Not listed as nonindigenous in Nebraska by USGS NAS; native to its Nebraska range.

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Least Weasel in Nebraska, by the numbers

Occasional in Nebraska 58th most recorded of 95 mammals logged in Nebraska

14 occurrence records
11 with iNaturalist photos
Oct 22, 2025 Last seen in Nebraska

Records from 2000–2026.

When to look for the Least Weasel in Nebraska

Most sightings fall in December.

14 Nebraska occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence. Based on a small number of dated records; the seasonal pattern may not be representative.

Monthly Nebraska records (table)
MonthRecords
January1
February1
March2
April2
May0
June1
July2
August0
September0
October1
November1
December3

Monthly least weasel occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Nebraska, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Nebraska, with recorded sightings peaking in December, with a smaller rise in March–April and July.

Occurrence map

Where Least Weasel has been recorded in Nebraska

14 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

14 Nebraska records mapped

Where it's recorded in Nebraska

CountyRecords
Buffalo County 3
Kearney County 2
Cass County 2
Washington County 1
Hall County 1
Gage County 1
Burt County 1
Valley County 1
Knox County 1
Boone County 1

The complete county distribution, spread across 10 Nebraska counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Least weasels, North America’s smallest carnivore, carry a NatureServe S5 secure rank in Nebraska, and the record splits fairly evenly between iNaturalist (11) and GBIF (10), suggesting both casual sightings and trapping data document this tiny predator about equally.

Records stay thin and steady across most of the year, one to three sightings a month, with a complete gap in August and September, a lull that likely reflects reduced trapping-survey activity during those months rather than a real seasonal absence, since this species stays active year-round without hibernating.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

More mammals in Nebraska in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries