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

Rare in Nebraska 67th most recorded of 95 mammals logged in Nebraska

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

Records from 2000–2026.

22 total records count every Nebraska occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the monthly chart covers the 21 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Least Weasel in Nebraska

Most sightings fall in November to April.

21 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
January3
February2
March3
April2
May1
June2
July2
August0
September0
October1
November2
December3

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

Seasonality

Year-round in Nebraska, with recorded sightings peaking in November–April, with a smaller rise in June–July.

Occurrence map

Where Least Weasel has been recorded in Nebraska

22 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

22 Nebraska records mapped

Where it's recorded in Nebraska

CountyRecords
Buffalo County 3
Kearney County 2
Cass County 2
Saline County 2
Cherry County 2
Washington County 1
Hall County 1
Gage County 1
Richardson County 1
Platte County 1
Lancaster County 1
Clay County 1
4 other counties 4

The complete county distribution, spread across 16 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 (18), 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