Stoat

Mustela erminea

Stoat

“ A typical vice of American politics the avoidance of saying anything real on real issues, and the announcement of radical policies with much sound and fury, and at the same time with a cautious accompaniment of weasel phrases each of which sucks the meat out of the preceding statement. ”

– Theodore Roosevelt

Scientific Taxonomy & Character Information

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Clade: Synapsida

Class: Mammalia

Order: Canivora

Suborder: Caniformia

Family: Mustelidae

Genius: Mustela

Species: Mustela erminea

Descendant: Mustela palerminea

Named by: Carl Linnaeus

Year Published: 1758

Size: males measure 187–325 mm (7.4–12.8 in) in body length, while females measure 170–270 mm (6.7–10.6 in). The tail measures 75–120 mm (3.0–4.7 in) in males and 65–106 mm (2.6–4.2 in) in females. In males, the hind foot measures 40.0–48.2 mm (1.57–1.90 in), while in females it is 37.0–47.6 mm (1.46–1.87 in).

Lifespan: 4–8 years

Gestation Period: 280 days

Type: 

Title: 

Pantheon: Terran/Gaian

Time Period: Late Pleistocene–Holocene

Alignment: Docile

Threat Level: ★★★

Diet: Carnivorous

Elements: Dark, leaf

Inflicts: Stunned

Weaknesses: Light, fae, combat, fire, ice

Casualties: countless prairie dogs

Based On: itself

Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC) – IUCN Red List

Stoat (Mustela erminea) or Ermine is the best species of weasel found in northern hemisphere like Eurasia to North America from Alaska to Newfoundland.

Physical Appearance

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.

Abilities

In both males and females, the stoat's coat varies, depending on the season. In the summer, the animal's back is cinnamon-coloured and the stomach is white. During the winter, on the other hand, the stoat's fur moults to completely white, and the animal is then called “ermine”.


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

Ecology

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.

Behavior

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.

Conservation

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.

Distribution and Habitat

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.


Tamed

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.

Lore

coming soon

Gallery

Foreign Languages