Leaving work just after sunset tonight (15 January 2026), I caught a glimpse of a Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata) bounding across the road. I pulled over to see if it would appear again, and it did. In fact, it kept running back and forth from one side of the road to the other. It was getting dark, so a photo was difficult, but I kept watching because the weasel was so active:
And then I saw another flash and I realized that another animal was involved. The weasel was chasing a Brush Rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani).
The next sequence was amazing -- the rabbit would dash out from the bushes and start running down the road, and then the weasel would appear and start to chase after the rabbit. This happened at least 4-6 times! Here's a sample:
Wow!
4 comments:
Poor rabbit! Great photos!
Yes, I apologize to all of the "lagomorphophiles" out there (lovers of rabbits and hares). I did feel sorry for the rabbit, but it was amazing to observe the weasel's skill and strength and capability in this interaction. So impressive!
Wow is right! I was wondering how the rabbit could possibly escape, and sure enough it didn't. I'm glad you had just enough light to capture the event. Did the weasel kill the rabbit by choking it?
The things you capture with your lens....amazing!
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