Pennsylvania mammals

Long-tailed Weasel in Pennsylvania

Neogale frenata

Native to Pennsylvania S5 Secure in Pennsylvania

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

Occasional in Pennsylvania 39th most recorded of 77 mammals logged in Pennsylvania

52 occurrence records
40 with iNaturalist photos

Records from 2000–2026.

52 total records count every Pennsylvania occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the monthly chart covers the 51 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Long-tailed Weasel in Pennsylvania

Most sightings fall in June.

51 Pennsylvania occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Pennsylvania records (table)
MonthRecords
January5
February6
March1
April5
May6
June11
July6
August5
September2
October0
November2
December2

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

Seasonality

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

Occurrence map

Where Long-tailed Weasel has been recorded in Pennsylvania

52 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

52 Pennsylvania records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Nescopeck State Park 1
State Game Land #91 1
State Game Land #63 1
State Game Land #222 1
State Game Land #43 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 Pennsylvania

CountyRecords
Centre County 11
Clarion County 5
Erie County 3
Sullivan County 3
Washington County 3
Lackawanna County 2
Monroe County 2
Delaware County 2
Crawford County 2
Venango County 2
Luzerne County 2
Cumberland County 1
14 other counties 14

The complete county distribution, spread across 26 Pennsylvania counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Dense edge cover and small prey connect Pennsylvania’s long-tailed weasel records across Pymatuning’s fields and wetlands, Presque Isle’s marsh margins, and the woods and old fields of Delaware Water Gap. The animal’s speed and low profile make even a well-used edge difficult to survey directly.

Records are highest from May through August, when long daylight and busy trails or campgrounds improve the chance of a fleeting view. That summer concentration captures encounters with a fast-moving animal, not statewide abundance.

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 Pennsylvania 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"