Ferrets have been domesticated for 2,500 years, but weasels are wild pests. Mink vs Polecat vs Weasel vs Stoat vs Ferret vs Mongoose. All Mink Polecat Weasel Stoat and Ferret belong to same family called Mustelidae. Most mongoose species are highly social animals living in busy groups of 6 to 40 individuals called "packs" or "mobs". However, Mongoose belongs to different family named as Herpestidae. Simply put, the mongoose is not a weasel. The basic differences between weasels and ferrets: Weasels belong to one of 10 species in the Mustelidae family, while ferrets are part of a subspecies within the polecat branch of the Mustelid family. The meerkat, however, is a mongoose, but since it is such a popular little animal and is in its own genus, you can read about it here - Meerkat Facts . I would think that it wouldn't be able to eat a fox. Ferrets have longer bodies and a shorter tail compared to weasels. The family Mustelidae (which also includes badgers, otters, and wolverines) is often referred to as the "weasel family". A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae.This family is currently split into two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae.The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to southern Europe, Africa and Asia, whereas the Mungotinae comprises 11 species native to Africa. Stoats are similar to Weasels but distinguished easily … A weasel / ˈ w iː z əl / is a mammal of the genus Mustela of the family Mustelidae.The genus Mustela includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and mink.Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender bodies and short legs. A mongoose is an animal the size of a Weasel or Ferret.