The Family Mustelidae includes a diverse group of small to medium-sized carnivorous mammals such as weasels, otters, ferrets, badgers, martens, and wolverines. Mustelids are characterized by elongated bodies, short legs, sharp teeth, and strong jaws, making them effective hunters and scavengers. They are found worldwide, occupying a variety of habitats from forests and grasslands to aquatic environments. Many species are solitary and territorial, while some, like otters, show social behavior. Mustelids play important ecological roles as predators that control populations of small mammals and invertebrates, and several species have been domesticated or hunted for fur.