Learn about how native animal species adapt to survive in Missouri at an event in Columbia March 8

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Learn about how some native animal species in Missouri have adapted to survive the ever-changing conditions in their environments in Columbia on March 8. This free Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) event will focus on the long-tailed weasel, and it is designed for participants ages 5 and older.  

The long-tailed weasel is a slender, long-bodied mammal with short legs and well-furred tail about half the length of the head and body. In summer, adults are usually dark brown above and yellowish white below with a white chin and black tail tip. In winter, the coat is paler. Sometimes, in northern Missouri, they have an all-white coat except for the black tail tip. Weasels live in a variety of habitats but prefer woodlands, brushy fencerows, and thickets along watercourses. Their home is a shallow burrow that was usually the former abode of a mole, ground squirrel, or mouse. They also live in rock piles, under tree roots, and in dense brushy vegetation. 

Participants of this event will engage in a presentation about long-tailed weasels, and then they will have the chance to create and name an animal of their own. The event will be held at the MDC Central Regional office at 3500 E. Gans Road from 3-4 p.m. on March 8.  Register for this event at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4VR. Question about this event can be sent to Lance Lewis at lance.lewis@mdc.mo.gov.