Kentucky mammals

Long-tailed Weasel in Kentucky

Neogale frenata

Native to Kentucky S4 Apparently Secure in Kentucky

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

Long-tailed weasel standing alert in grass with its black-tipped tail curled behind it, Sonoma County, CaliforniaLong-tailed weasel pausing at the edge of a paved trail beside tall grass, San Francisco, CaliforniaLong-tailed weasel peering over a log, showing its cream underside and brown crown, VermontLong-tailed weasel with a bridled black-and-white facial mask peering through a gap in deck boards, TexasLong-tailed weasel standing alert among limestone rocks, New Mexico
Photo: benjchristensen · CC BY 4.0Long-tailed weasel standing alert in grass with its black-tipped tail curled behind it, Sonoma County, CaliforniaPhoto: Jay Paroline · CC BY 4.0Long-tailed weasel pausing at the edge of a paved trail beside tall grass, San Francisco, CaliforniaPhoto: Bernie Paquette · CC BY 4.0Long-tailed weasel peering over a log, showing its cream underside and brown crown, VermontPhoto: johnyochum · CC BY 4.0Long-tailed weasel with a bridled black-and-white facial mask peering through a gap in deck boards, TexasPhoto: Bob Nieman · CC BY 4.0Long-tailed weasel standing alert among limestone rocks, New Mexico

Long-tailed Weasel in Kentucky, by the numbers

Occasional in Kentucky 50th most recorded of 77 mammals logged in Kentucky

18 occurrence records
15 with iNaturalist photos

Records from 2000–2026.

18 total records count every Kentucky occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the monthly chart covers the 16 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Long-tailed Weasel in Kentucky

Most sightings fall in June.

16 Kentucky 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 Kentucky records (table)
MonthRecords
January0
February0
March0
April2
May2
June8
July3
August0
September0
October0
November1
December0

Monthly long-tailed weasel occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Kentucky, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Kentucky, with recorded sightings peaking in June.

Occurrence map

Where Long-tailed Weasel has been recorded in Kentucky

18 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

18 Kentucky records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Land Between the Lakes Other 1
Clay Hill Memorial Forest 1
Veterans Memorial Wildlife Management Areas 1

Protected places with the most long-tailed weasel sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in Kentucky

CountyRecords
Fayette County 5
Mercer County 2
Trigg County 1
Franklin County 1
Rockcastle County 1
Taylor County 1
Garrard County 1
Scott County 1
Daviess County 1
Nelson County 1
Bullitt County 1
Jessamine County 1
Bell County 1

The complete county distribution, spread across 13 Kentucky counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Long-tailed weasel holds a substantial 88-record showing in Kentucky, reaching from Land Between the Lakes through the Clarks River and Reelfoot refuges in the state’s far west. Most of that record, 85 of 88 sightings, comes from GBIF survey and specimen data rather than photographs, typical for a fast, low-hunting predator that’s more often trapped than seen.

Reports peak from May through August and taper sharply by fall, tracking the warm months when this weasel’s hunting along logs, fence lines, and brush piles is most likely to put it in view. NatureServe ranks the species S4, Apparently Secure, in Kentucky.

Long-tailed weasel standing alert in grass with its black-tipped tail curled behind it, Sonoma County, California
Full species profile Long-tailed Weasel Neogale frenata Size 24.8 cm9.8 in Weight 170 g6 oz Lifespan Up to 8.8 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Kentucky 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
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"