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The stoat (scientific name: mustela erminea) is part of the mustelid (carnivorous mammal) family based in Eurasia and parts of North America. They are also known as the ‘ermine’ and ‘weasel’. The stoat has a very simple appearance with brown fur, which can turn white in winter, with a creamy white undercarriage. The white fur is known as ‘ermine’ and helps the stoat to blend into its surroundings during snowy weather. There is usually a black line separating the brown fur and white underside. As a flourish, they also have a black tip at the end of their tail.
Males grow to between 27 and 31 cm in length; females 24 - 29 cm. Their long tails can reach heights of between 9 and 14 cm. Males are significantly heavier than females, reaching between 200 and 445 grams. Females weigh between 140 and 280 g.
They have a primarily urban habitat, hanging around riverbanks, marshlands, mixed woodland and coastal areas. They are difficult to spot as they largely stay out of the way. It has been suggested that the quickest way to look for a stoat is to observe a rabbit at potential risk of hunting.
The stoat is a solitary mammal who generally spends most of its life alone. However, when the time comes it will find a breeding mate. Between six and twelve baby stoats will be born blind, deaf and without fur. It then takes around three months for the baby stoats to become self-sufficient, although female baby stoats may become sexually active from just two to three weeks.
Stoats are hugely territorial and it is not unusual to see a larger male stoat bully a younger one to secure a much larger den or burrow. They then mark their territory with urine and faeces to ward off any other mammals.
Its worldwide conservation status is one of the least concern. Stoats are legally protected in Ireland but not in the UK, which has led to farmers hunting stoats before they can attack their birds. Stoats are fierce hunters and can even kill an adult rabbit with a bite to the base of the skull. Their diet also includes rats, squirrels and many amphibians, lizards and insects.
They are not just hunters; they are the hunted themselves. Birds of prey and foxes are the biggest threats to stoats, which forces them to avoid running around in open spaces when travelling. Stoats are also vulnerable to parasites and disease. Tuberculosis has been recorded in the past, as have cases of mange. They are also susceptible to ectoparasites and lice.
Stoat skins are also hugely desirable in the fur trade. Ermine has been used on ceremonial robes and hats for the UK House of Lords and in academic hoods for Oxford and Cambridge universities. Ermine hats are also common in Russia. Although, due to legitimate animal rights concerns, fake fur is now used.
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