This chapter reviews the ecology of the three species of small mustelids introduced into New Zealand: the ferret (Mustela furo), the stoat (M. erminea) and the weasel (M. nivalis), for biological control of rabbits. New Zealand offers a mosaic of environments totally different from those in which the three species evolved, including a diminishing array of endemic fauna especially vulnerable to mammalian predators. Mustelids in New Zealand display significant adaptive flexibility in diet, habitat selection, co-existence, dispersal, body size, population biology and predatory impact, with results contrasting with those observable in their northern-hemisphere ancestors. These evolutionary and ecological responses by mustelids to new opportunities are of considerable interest to evolutionary ecologists, especially those interested in competition and predator-prey relationships. Likewise, the need to protect New Zealand’s native fauna has stimulated extensive research on alternative options for mitigating the effects of invasive predators, applicable to pest management problems in other countries.