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Keith Dirago is seldom lacking in compelling videos and photos that showcase a wide variety of Maine wildlife.
He has the luxury of living in Stacyville, where critters both large and small are frequent visitors.
Recently, he captured some awesome trail camera footage of a slim, spunky critter.
“I think it’s a long-tailed weasel,” said Shevenell Webb, furbearer biologist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. “On long-tailed weasels, typically the tail length is at least half or more of their body length.”
Dirago has previous experience with the energetic mustelids.
“They’re kind of elusive. I caught this one on a trailcam behind my house,” Dirago said. “They raise havoc on chickens.”
Against a backdrop of falling snow, the nearly all-white weasel scurries around in the background, its eyes reflecting the light from the camera. It then makes an extended appearance directly in front of the camera, rooting around in the snow with its snout.
The weasel darts out of the frame and, several seconds later, re-emerges. It snatches something out of the snow and heads off into the background. Small rodents are among the favorite food of these animals, but they’ll also eat squirrels, chipmunks and even snowshoe hares.
Our sincere thanks to Keith Dirago for sharing this beautiful scene with Bangor Daily News readers.
