The family Mustelidae is a family of carnivorous mammals which includes the weasel, badger, otter, marten, ferret, mink, stoat, and wolverine. Skunks used to be included in this family but nowadays have been placed within their own family, the Mephitidae. Mustelids are typically small with short legs, round ears and thick fur, with several species leading a partially aquatic existence, swimming and hunting in rivers or seas.
Several species have been highly prized for their fur throughout history, and the fur trade during centuries past has decimated many populations. This has nowadays largely been replaced by fur farming, which remains a fiercely contested practice.