Missouri mammals

Long-tailed Weasel in Missouri

Neogale frenata

Native to Missouri S3 Vulnerable in Missouri

Not listed as nonindigenous in Missouri by USGS NAS; native to its Missouri 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 Missouri, by the numbers

Rare in Missouri 65th most recorded of 82 mammals logged in Missouri

10 occurrence records
5 with iNaturalist photos

Records from 2000–2026.

10 total records count every Missouri occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the monthly chart covers the 9 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Long-tailed Weasel in Missouri

Most sightings fall in July.

9 Missouri 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 Missouri records (table)
MonthRecords
January1
February0
March0
April0
May1
June0
July3
August0
September0
October1
November0
December3

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

Seasonality

Sparse observation record in Missouri; presence confirmed but timing of activity not well documented.

Occurrence map

Where Long-tailed Weasel has been recorded in Missouri

10 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

10 Missouri records mapped

Where it's recorded in Missouri

CountyRecords
Lincoln County 2
Jasper County 1
Reynolds County 1
Phelps County 1
St. Charles County 1
Pettis County 1
Jackson County 1
Audrain County 1
Iron County 1

The complete county distribution, spread across 9 Missouri counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Missouri’s records for the long-tailed weasel cluster around Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, Big Oak Tree State Park, and Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge, three protected wetland and bottomland-forest tracts in the state’s southeastern lowlands. Weasels hunt along brushy edges and rodent burrows, habitat these refuges preserve better than the surrounding farmland, so the cluster likely reflects both good cover and more eyes watching for wildlife.

Only 105 records exist for the whole state, and just 5 came from iNaturalist, a low count for an animal this active. Long-tailed weasels are fast, secretive, and mostly solitary, so a thin photographic record doesn’t say much about how many actually live here. Sightings peak from May through August, when kits are out of the den and adults are hunting more visibly through the warm months.

Genetically, this isn’t quite the animal older field guides describe. In 2021 researchers moved it out of the Old World genus Mustela and into Neogale, a newer, purely American lineage. NatureServe lists it S3, Vulnerable, in Missouri.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist.

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 Missouri 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