Northern Stoat

The word "weasel", from Middle English wesele, from Old English weosule, from Proto-West Germanic *wisulā, from Proto-Germanic *wisulǭ, a diminutive of a word *wisō- (“European polecat, Mustela putorius”). From the root Proto-Indo-European *weys- (“to ooze, stink”), compare *wisundz (“bison”). The verb is from c. 1900, from the supposed cunningness of the weasel.

The word "stoat", from Middle English stote (“the ermine, especially in its brown summer coat”), of uncertain origin. The word bears some resemblance to Old Norse stutr (“bull”), Swedish stut (“bull, steer”) and Danish stud (“steer”) (see also English stot), but the semantic link is difficult unless a common origin is from “(brown?) male mammal”. First attested in the mid 1400s.

The word "ermine", as English is part of Germanic languages, from Middle English ermine, ermin, ermyn, from Old French ermin, ermine, hermine. There are two main theories for the origin of Old French ermine. Germanic origin is suggested via Old Dutch *harmino (“stoat skin”), from *harmo (“stoat, weasel”) (compare Dutch hermelijn and dialectal herm), from Proto-Germanic *harmǭ, *harmô (compare Old English hearma, Old High German harmo (harmin (adjective), obsolete German Harm), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱormō (compare Romansch carmun, obsolete Lithuanian šarmuõ). Romance sources identify the animal with the corresponding word for Armenian, possibly from Medieval Latin mūs Armenius (“Armenian mouse”) or a posterior compound.

• Singular: Stoat, Weasel, Ermine

• Plural: Stoats, Weasels, Ermines

The male of the species weighs twice as much as the female and is at least 5cm longer (the measurement varies from 18cm to 32cm). The body is slim and long and cylindrical in shape. The stoat moves with the typical gait of members of the Mustelidae family in more or less long jumps, whereby the hindlegs come down on the footprints of the forelegs.

Their typical fur coloration is primarily brown with a white bib and underbelly, with a black tip on the very end of the tail. Despite its alternate name, the short-tailed weasel, stoats usually have longer tails than weasels do. Notably, stoats may grow a pure white coat during the cold winter months or if they reside in particularly cold climates. It’s only when wearing this coat that they can properly be called ermine and are desired by hunters or trappers for their pelts.

The winter-taken pelts, prized for fineness and pure color, are among the most valuable of commercial furs and are obtained mainly in northern Eurasia.

The stoat's agility and speed were remarkable for its size; it could climb, jump, and squeeze through small spaces. It had the ability to kill anything larger than itself and was skilled at hunting small mammals like rabbits and voles. The stoat required frequent feeding due to its high metabolism and endurance.

As part of their seasonal camouflage, stoats changed from having a brown coat to a pristine white one throughout the winter. In snowy conditions, the stoat's fur turns white, which is a great adaptation for hiding. In the summer, the animal's back is cinnamon-colored and the stomach is white. During the winter, on the other hand, the stoat's fur molts to completely white, and the animal is then called “ermine.” Musk glands are used by stoats to mark and defend their territory. In both males and females, the stoat's coat varies, depending on the season. 

Stoats growl when they are threatened, while weasels hiss. The stoat reputedly mesmerizes prey such as rabbits by a "dance," sometimes called the weasel war dance, though this behavior is shared by relatives.

The stoat is a small predator; it is very agile and exceptionally fast, characteristics that permit it to hunt on the snow, between rocks, on trees and even in the water. It is a very small animal, with a black tuft on the tip of its tail.

Stoats are ambitious carnivores that prey on many kinds of prey species, including some animals that are notably bigger than they are. They can be active during the day or night and rely on a combination of speed, tenacity and stealth to catch their prey. Their bodies are well-suited to following burrowing animals into their den, which is a primary defense mechanism many prey animals have against larger predators. Owls, foxes, wolves, lynxes, wildcats, hawks, eagles, crocodiles, snakes, monitor lizards, and larger mustelids like polecats and wolverines are the stoat's primary predators.

Reproduction

Breeding season:

• Typically in late spring to early summer.

Delayed implantation:

• After fertilization, the embryo’s development pauses for up to 9–10 months — young are born the following spring when conditions improve.

Gestation (active phase):

• 3–4 weeks.

Litter size:

• 4–13 kits.

Parental care:

• Female raises young alone in a burrow lined with prey fur. Kits open their eyes at 5 weeks and hunt at 2–3 months.

Very curious and shy to humans if you want to pet the stoat, wrong, not been domesticated. Hostile to rabbits to others, including your puppies and kittens, so beware, as well as snake and basilisks, another mythical creature that same behavior as mongoose have. Stoats are not a significant threat to humans and are very unlikely to strike at people unless they are cornered. Animals with rabies may behave in an uncharacteristically aggressive fashion, so they should be avoided when possible.

Likes

• Hunting rodents

• Exploring tunnels

• Snow cover for camouflage

• Quiet territory

• Fresh prey

Dislikes

• Large predators

• Habitat disturbance

• Starvation during prey shortages

• Extreme heat

• Loud constant human activity

On a range-wide scale, no major threats to the stoats are known. Locally, the species may be threatened by unrestricted trapping and habitat loss through timber harvest or natural disturbance. In the Iberian Peninsula, the species is perhaps dependent on two vole Arvicola species, and these are declining, so loss of prey base might be a threat. Habitat loss (e.g., as a result of urbanization) is also a problem in parts of the range.

The stoat occupies a wide range of habitats. It is often found in successional or forest-edge habitats, in scrub, alpine meadows, marshes, riparian woodlands, hedgerows, and riverbanks that have high densities of small mammals.

In the 2600s and 2700s, the "Sky People," or Terrans from Earth, brought the stoat weasel to two exoplanets that resembled Earth: Reinachos from Cygnus and Berbania from Ursa Major. Despite the fact that our planet is on the verge of extinction, conservation efforts are helping this species recover from endangerment or near extinction. Human interactions for game hunting and rewilding produced this species, but they backfired when the stoat became an invasive species. The stoat inhabited two exoplanets that were similar to Earth in terms of climate and environment.

• Movement Pattern: Not a Migrant

• Individual Type: Solo

• Population Trend: Increasing

• Population: 

  • Earth: ???

  • Berbania: ???

  • Reinachos: ???

• Locomotion: Terrestrial

• Habitat: Polar; Tundra; Taiga; Montane Grasslands and Shrublands; Temperate Coniferous Forests; Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests; Temperate Deciduous Forests, Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Subtropical Coniferous Forests; Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands; Salt Flats; Stone Forest; Tropical Coniferous Forests; Tropical Moist Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Dry Broadleaf Forests; Tropical Grasslands; Tropical Savannas and Shrublands; Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub; Mushroom Forests; Mushroom Fields; Deserts and Xeric Shrublands; Badlands; Flooded Grasslands and Savannas; Swamp; Bayous/Billabongs; Riparian; Wetland; Mangrove Forest; Cold Bamboo Forests; Tropical Bamboo Forests; Air-breathing Coral Reefs; Graveyard Vale; Mountain; Karst Cave; Karst Spring; Lush Cavern; Crystal Cave; Magnetic Cave; Radiated Vale; Radiated Citadel; Volcano; Warm Ghost Town; Cold Ghost Town; Ruined Skyscraper.

• Earth: 

  • Extant (Resident): Afghanistan; Albania; Andorra; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Belgium; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Canada; China; Croatia; Czechia; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Greenland; Hungary; India; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Netherlands; North Macedonia; Norway; Pakistan; Poland; Portugal; Romania; Russia; Serbia; Slovakia; Slovenia; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Tajikistan; Türkiye; Ukraine; United Kingdom; United States; Uzbekistan

  • Extant & Introduced (resident): New Zealand

• Berbania: 

  • Extant & Introduced (resident): worldwide

• Reinachos: 

  • Extant & Introduced (resident): worldwide

The stoats (even in the wild) are social, lively, curious, and fun-loving animals. This means that, while they make excellent companions, they are not the easiest to handle and can bite hard if startled. As a result, they don't often make suitable pets for children.

coming soon

Earth

• Tagalog: arminyo, wisel, mustelang ermino, mustelang may maikling buntot, mustelang maiksi ang buntot, wisel na may maigsing buntot, wisel na may maigsing buntot, ermino, ermina, ermin, ermelin, ermelino, ermelina

• Indonesian: cerpelai ekor-pendek, cerpelai ermina, ermino, ermina

• Navajo: tó wónaanídę́ę́ʼ dlǫ́ʼiiłgaii

• Northern Sami: nirpi

• Welsh: carlwm

• Scottish Gaelic: neas mhòr, eas mhòr

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoat

• https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/29674/45203335

• https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1107444?ref=weasels

• https://www.parcostelviotrentino.it/en/get-to-know-the-park/the-stoat-or-ermine/16-203.html

• https://a-z-animals.com/animals/stoat/

• https://animalia.bio/ermine

• https://glenlivet-wildlife.co.uk/mammals/weasel/

• https://www.deviantart.com/ognimdo2002/art/Stoat-Ermine-941628468