Patagonian weasel Patagonian weasel The Patagonian weasel ("Lyncodon patagonicus") is a small mustelid that is the only member of the genus "Lyncodon". Its geographic range is the Pampas of western Argentina and sections of Chile. An early mention of the animal is in the Journal of Syms Covington, who sailed with Charles Darwin on his epic voyage aboard "HMS Beagle". The Patagonian weasel has a head and body length of , with a tail that is . Its fur is whitish with black and dark brown tones mixed in. It has small ears, short legs and a bushy tail. The animal has
Patagonian Ice Sheet than the extremely steep ones of present-day Patagonia. Unlike the Laurentide Ice Sheet or the ice sheets of Northern Europe, the Patagonian Ice Sheet did not cause major extinctions or loss of biodiversity. This is because the flora remaining to the north of the ice were isolated by the Atacama Desert and were able to speciate easily wherever suitable microclimates occurred. In fact, most of the original Antarctic flora survives today on land occupied by the ice sheet. However, there are indications that during the last deglaciation (17,500 years ago), the rapid melting of the northernmost extension of the Patagonian