The Chinese proverb "the weasel pays respect to the hen without the best of intentions" became all too real with the arrival of the Year of the Rooster.
随着鸡年的到来,中国的一句谚语“黄鼠狼给鸡拜年”真的成为了现实。Recently, a picture of a "Siberian weasel" paying New Year respects to a hen went viral. However, the "Siberian weasel" in the picture was not Siberian, said an expert.
近日,一张一只“西伯利亚黄鼠狼”给一只母鸡“拜年”的照片迅速走红。但是一位专家指出,照片中的这只“西伯利亚黄鼠狼”并不是来自西伯利亚。"The animal in the picture is not a Siberian weasel. It's a least weasel," said Dr. Zhang Jinshuo, who works at the Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, adding that Siberian weasels are larger than least weasels.
来自中国社科院动物研究所的张劲硕博士表示:“照片中的这只动物不是西伯利亚黄鼠狼,只是一只普通的伶鼬。”他还表示,西伯利亚黄鼠狼要比普通的伶鼬大一些。
According to Zhang, the main difference between the two is that Siberian weasels have a pale back and belly and a black face.
据张劲硕博士称,这两种动物之间主要的区别在于,西伯利亚黄鼠狼的背部和腹部是白色的,而脸则是黑的。Zhang also noted the proverb and pointed out that weasels do not usually eat chickens. Typically, they eat other small animals like rats.
此外,张劲硕还提到了那句谚语,并指出黄鼠狼其实不常吃鸡。通常来说,它们的食物是老鼠等其他一些小动物。He said weasels only attack chickens and other domestic fowl when they are starving and no other food source can be found.
他表示,只有在饿得不行而又找不到其他食物的时候,黄鼠狼才会袭击鸡和其他家禽。