Stoat

Stoat
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Carnivora
Family:	Mustelidae
Genus:	Mustela
Species:	M. erminea
Binomial name
Mustela erminea Linnaeus, 1758
Stoat range (includes M. richardsonii and M. haidarum)   native   introduced

The stoat (Mustela erminea), also known as the Eurasian ermine, Beringian ermine and ermine, is a

The

As of 2021[update], 21 subspecies are recognized.^[7]

Evolution

The stoat's direct ancestor was Mustela palerminea, a common carnivore in central and eastern Europe during the

Fossilised stoat remains have been recovered from Denisova Cave.^[21] Combined phylogenetic analyses indicate the stoat's closest living relatives are the American ermine (M. richardsonii) and Haida ermine (M. haidarum), the latter of which partially descends from M. erminea.^[7] It is basal to most other members of Mustela, with only the yellow-bellied (M. kathia), Malayan (M. katiah), and back-striped (M. strigidorsa) weasels being more basal.^[22] The mountain weasel (Mustela altaica) was formerly considered its closest relative although more recent analyses have found it to be significantly more derived. It was also previously thought to be allied with members of the genus Neogale such as the long-tailed weasel, but as those species have since been separated into a new genus, this is likely not the case.^[23]

Description

Build

The stoat is similar to the least weasel in general proportions, manner of posture, and movement, though the tail is relatively longer, always exceeding a third of the body length,^{[clarification needed][24]} though it is shorter than that of the long-tailed weasel. The stoat has an elongated neck, the head being set exceptionally far in front of the shoulders. The trunk is nearly cylindrical, and does not bulge at the abdomen. The greatest circumference of body is little more than half its length.

The dimensions of the stoat are variable, but not as significantly as the least weasel's.^[28] Unusual among the Carnivora, the size of stoats tends to decrease proportionally with latitude, in contradiction to Bergmann's rule.^[18] Sexual dimorphism in size is pronounced, with males being roughly 25% larger than females and 1.5-2.0 times their weight.^[14] On average, 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). The height of the ear measures 18.0–23.2 mm (0.71–0.91 in) in males and 14.0–23.3 mm (0.55–0.92 in). The skulls of males measure 39.3–52.2 mm (1.55–2.06 in) in length, while those of females measure 35.7–45.8 mm (1.41–1.80 in). Males average 258 g (9.1 oz) in weight, while females weigh less than 180 g (6.3 oz).^[28]

The stoat has large anal scent glands measuring 8.5 mm × 5 mm (0.33 in × 0.20 in) in males and smaller in females. Scent glands are also present on the cheeks, belly and flanks.^[27] Epidermal secretions, which are deposited during body rubbing, are chemically distinct from the products of the anal scent glands, which contain a higher proportion of volatile chemicals. When attacked or being aggressive, the stoat secretes the contents of its anal glands, giving rise to a strong, musky odour produced by several sulphuric compounds. The odour is distinct from that of least weasels.^[29]

Fur

The winter fur is very dense and silky, but quite closely lying and short, while the summer fur is rougher, shorter and sparse.

In the Northern Hemisphere, mating occurs in the April–July period. In spring, the male's

Stoat territoriality has a generally mustelid spacing pattern, with male territories encompassing smaller female territories, which they defend from other males. The size of the territory and the ranging behaviour of its occupants varies seasonally, depending on the abundance of food and mates. During the breeding season, the ranges of females remain unchanged, while males either become roamers, strayers or transients. Dominant older males have territories 50 times larger than those of younger, socially inferior males. Both sexes

The stoat does not dig its own burrows, instead using the burrows and nest chambers of the rodents it kills. The skins and underfur of rodent prey are used to line the nest chamber. The nest chamber is sometimes located in seemingly unsuitable places, such as among logs piled against the walls of houses. The stoat also inhabits old and rotting stumps, under tree roots, in heaps of brushwood, haystacks, in bog hummocks, in the cracks of vacant mud buildings, in rock piles, rock clefts, and even in magpie nests. Males and females typically live apart, but close to each other.^[40] Each stoat has several dens dispersed within its range. A single den has several galleries, mainly within 30 cm (12 in) of the surface.^[41]

Diet

As with the least weasel, mouse-like rodents predominate in the stoat's diet. It regularly preys on larger rodent and

The stoat is an opportunistic predator that moves rapidly and checks every available burrow or crevice for food. Because of their larger size, male stoats are less successful than females in pursuing rodents far into tunnels. Stoats regularly climb trees to gain access to birds' nests, and are common raiders of nest boxes, particularly those of large species. The stoat reputedly mesmerises prey such as rabbits by a "dance" (sometimes called the weasel war dance), though this behaviour could be linked to Skrjabingylus infections.^[44] The stoat seeks to immobilize large prey such as rabbits with a bite to the spine at the back of the neck. The stoat may surplus kill when the opportunity arises, though excess prey is usually cached and eaten later to avoid obesity, as overweight stoats tend to be at a disadvantage when pursuing prey into their burrows.^[46] Small prey typically die instantly from a bite to the back of the neck, while larger prey, such as rabbits, typically die of shock, as the stoat's canine teeth are too short to reach the spinal column or major arteries.^[44]

Communication

The stoat is a usually silent animal, but can produce a range of sounds similar to those of the least weasel. Kits produce a fine chirping noise. Adults trill excitedly before mating, and indicate submission through quiet trilling, whining and squealing. When nervous, the stoat hisses, and will intersperse this with sharp barks or shrieks and prolonged screeching when aggressive.^[29]

Aggressive behavior in stoats is categorized in these forms:^[29]

• Noncontact approach, which is sometimes accompanied by a threat display and vocalization from the approached animal
• Forward thrust, accompanied by a sharp shriek, which is usually done by stoats defending a nest or retreat site
• Nest occupation, when a stoat appropriates the nesting site of a weaker individual
• Kleptoparasitism, in which a dominant stoat appropriates the killing of a weaker one, usually after a fight.

Submissive stoats express their status by avoiding higher-ranking animals, fleeing from them or making whining or squealing sounds.^[29]

Predators

Larger mammalian predators such as

Tuberculosis has been recorded in stoats inhabiting the former Soviet Union and New Zealand. They are largely resistant to tularemia, but are reputed to suffer from canine distemper in captivity. Symptoms of mange have also been recorded.^[50]

Stoats are vulnerable to

In Irish mythology, stoats were viewed anthropomorphically as animals with families, which held rituals for their dead. They were also viewed as noxious animals prone to thieving, and their saliva was said to be able to poison a grown man. To encounter a stoat when setting out for a journey was considered bad luck, but one could avert this by greeting the stoat as a neighbour.^[51] Stoats were also supposed to hold the souls of infants who died before baptism.^[52]

In the folklore of the

One popular European legend had it that a white stoat would die before allowing its pure white coat to be besmirched. When it was being chased by hunters, it would supposedly turn around and give itself up to the hunters rather than risk soiling itself.[54]

The former nation (now region) of Brittany in France uses a stylized ermine-fur pattern in forming the coat of arms and flag of Brittany. Gilles Servat's song La Blanche Hermine ("The White Ermine") became an anthem for Bretons (and is popular among French people in general).

In the 16th century Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods, Erlang Shen transforms into an ermine to demonstrate his shapeshifting abilities.^{[citation needed]}

Fur use

Stoat skins are prized by the fur trade, especially in winter coat, and used to trim coats and stoles. The fur from the winter coat is referred to as ermine and is the traditional ancient symbol of the

Ermine (both M. erminea and M. richardsonii, both of which inhabited the Tlingit's territory) were also valued by the Tlingit and other indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. They could be attached to traditional regalia and cedar bark hats as status symbols, or they were also made into shirts.^[57]

The stoat was a fundamental item in the fur trade of the Soviet Union, with no less than half the global catch coming from within its borders. The Soviet Union also contained the highest grades of stoat pelts, with the best grade North American pelts being comparable only to the 9th grade in the quality criteria of former Soviet stoat standards. Stoat harvesting never became a specialty in any Soviet republic, with most stoats being captured incidentally in traps or near villages. Stoats in the Soviet Union were captured either with dogs or with box-traps or jaw-traps. Guns were rarely used, as they could damage the pelt.^[58]

• 
  American actress Alice Maison shown wearing ermine fur in a Mack Sennett comedy film
• 
  Thea Sternheim, wife of playwright Carl Sternheim, wearing an ermine hat

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Ahern, Albert (1922). Fur Facts. St. Louis: C. P. Curran printing company.
• Coues, Elliott (1877). Fur-bearing Animals: A Monograph of North American Mustelidae. Government Printing Office.
• Harris, Stephen; Yalden, Derek (2008). Mammals of the British Isles (4th Revised ed.). Mammal Society.
  ISBN 978-0-906282-65-6
  .
• Johnston, Harry Hamilton (1903). British mammals; an attempt to describe and illustrate the mammalian fauna of the British islands from the commencement of the Pleistocene period down to the present day. London, Hutchinson.
• King, Carolyn M.; Powell, Roger A. (2007). The Natural History of Weasels and Stoats: Ecology, Behavior, and Management. Illustrations by Consie Powell (2nd ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
  OCLC 228781387. Archived
  from the original on 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2018-07-31.
• Kurtén, Björn (1968). Pleistocene mammals of Europe. Weidenfeld and Nicolson.
• Kurtén, Björn (1980). Pleistocene mammals of North America. Columbia University Press.
  ISBN 0-231-03733-3
  .
• Heptner, V. G.; Sludskii, A. A. (2002). Mammals of the Soviet Union. Vol. II, part 1b, Carnivores (Mustelidae and Procyonidae). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Libraries and National Science Foundation.
  ISBN 90-04-08876-8
  .
• Macdonald, David (1992). The Velvet Claw: A Natural History of the Carnivores. New York: Parkwest.
  ISBN 0-563-20844-9
  .
• Merriam, Clinton Hart (1896). Synopsis of the weasels of North America. Washington, D.C.: Govt. Print. Off.
• Verts, B. J.; Carraway, Leslie N. (1998). Land Mammals of Oregon. University of California Press.
  ISBN 0-520-21199-5. Archived
  from the original on 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2015-12-30.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mustela erminea and Ermine (clothing).

Wikispecies has information related to Mustela erminea.

• Erminea (Mustela erminea) at ARKive
• Mustela erminea taxonomy
• Stoat control information
• Stoat 'playing'(?) in snow
• Fiordland Islands NZ stoat eradication
• BBC Wildlife finder including video footage and sound files
• Stoat images Archived 2012-07-31 at the Wayback Machine
• Smithsonian Institution—North American Mammals: Mustela erminea
• Smithsonian Wild: Mustela erminea