S
Stuart Harvey
Guest
How do you tell the difference? Seen 2 in the last few months, right up close but can't tell what is was exactly.
S
sash
Guest
Stoat is bigger and has a black tip to its tail. Unless it's in Winter in which case stoats do turn white in colder regions!
Sash is right, the black tip on the tail is the give away.
When they turn white the fur is then known as Ermine.
When they turn white the fur is then known as Ermine.
S
Shrek
Guest
I was always told that a weasel was weaselly distinguished and a stoat was stoatally different....!!
I'll get my coat.
I'll get my coat.
T
The Monk
Guest
being a keen ferret and polecat keeper and mustellidae lover generally, I know a little bit about stoats and weasels, the stoat is the one with a black tip on the tail and much larger than the weasel, much more common generally also, not all stoats turn white in the wintery months however, but all retail the black tip on the end of the tail, lovely animals
S
Stuart Harvey
Guest
The one I saw was about 10-12" long. So its probably a Stoat then but how big do weasels grow?
R
Ron Troversial Clay
Guest
Probably about 2 inches shorter. When I grew up on the farm we had lots of stoats and hardly ever saw a weasel.
These are marvellous animals and I love to see them.
The one animal I hate with a passion is the mink. I have managed over the last few years to rid our land of quite a few of these bloody things.
These are marvellous animals and I love to see them.
The one animal I hate with a passion is the mink. I have managed over the last few years to rid our land of quite a few of these bloody things.
T
The Monk
Guest
STOATS
Stoats can be found all over the British Isles. They are less common than they used to be, partly because farmers and gamekeepers shoot or trap them. They do this because stoats eat the eggs and young fledglings of game birds like partridge and pheasant. In places where they are protected, or there is a good food supply, stoats breed rapidly and become locally very common. They usually move around at night, although they can be seen in daylight hours.
STOAT FEATURES
The stoat is a slender, long-bodied animal with a black tipped tail. They are 18 - 30cm. long and the tail is 6 - 12cm. long. Males are larger than females. Stoats and weasels do not usually occupy the same areas, but, where they do coexist, stoats tend to be the larger. The coat is reddish-brown on the back with pale underparts. Stoats that live in northern areas turn pure white in the winter, except for the tip of the tail, which remains black. The fur is then called ermine and used to be highly prized for trimming ceremonial robes. The male is called the dog, the female is a bitch and the young are kittens.
HABITAT
Stoats are often found close to human habitation. They are very curious and will explore burrows and buildings. If you startle one it will dive for cover in the nearest hedge or hole, but, if you stay still and quiet, it will soon come out again for a better look at you. They prefer open low country and can be found round hedgerows, paths, walls, ditches and copses, in fact anywhere with good hiding places. They tend to wander over a large area, but usually settle close to a good food supply. This is the reason they are often seen near farm buildings.
FOOD
They are hunters (carnivores) and prey on birds, reptiles, and small mammals especially voles, hares and rabbits. A stoat kills by biting through the back of the skull. Stoats also take eggs of chickens and game birds.
DWELLING PLACE
The nest used for breeding is usually in a hole in a dry stone wall, under a hedgerow or in a dry ditch. Occasionally a stoat will kill the rabbits in a warren and then use that as a base. Most carnivores sleep after a good meal and stoats will sleep in any underground burrow where it has made a kill.
BREEDING
Stoats only raise one litter a year, in the late spring. The number of kittens will vary with the food supply. The kittens are suckled and are weaned after 5 weeks. The parents then teach them to hunt for themselves.
WEASELS
A weasel is like a small stoat, with a shorter tail without the black tip. The males are much larger than the females. The head and body of a male is about 20cm. and a female measures about 18cm. Weasels do not turn white in winter in Britain. Its distribution is similar to that of stoats.
Weasels are active by day and night, but they prefer to hunt under cover. They will use the runs of mice, voles and moles and are sometimes caught in mole traps.
They eat mainly mice, voles and shrews, but will probably kill and eat any other prey that they can master, including young rabbits, small birds and eggs.
The weasel differs from the stoat in its breeding habits. Weasels normally raise two litters a year, the first in late spring and then a second in late summer. The young are weaned after 4 to 5 weeks. The young from the first litter may breed in their first year.
Their numbers fluctuate with the number of mice and voles and, because mice and vole populations vary widely on a cyclical basis, weasel numbers probably vary more than stoat numbers.
Stoats can be found all over the British Isles. They are less common than they used to be, partly because farmers and gamekeepers shoot or trap them. They do this because stoats eat the eggs and young fledglings of game birds like partridge and pheasant. In places where they are protected, or there is a good food supply, stoats breed rapidly and become locally very common. They usually move around at night, although they can be seen in daylight hours.
STOAT FEATURES
The stoat is a slender, long-bodied animal with a black tipped tail. They are 18 - 30cm. long and the tail is 6 - 12cm. long. Males are larger than females. Stoats and weasels do not usually occupy the same areas, but, where they do coexist, stoats tend to be the larger. The coat is reddish-brown on the back with pale underparts. Stoats that live in northern areas turn pure white in the winter, except for the tip of the tail, which remains black. The fur is then called ermine and used to be highly prized for trimming ceremonial robes. The male is called the dog, the female is a bitch and the young are kittens.
HABITAT
Stoats are often found close to human habitation. They are very curious and will explore burrows and buildings. If you startle one it will dive for cover in the nearest hedge or hole, but, if you stay still and quiet, it will soon come out again for a better look at you. They prefer open low country and can be found round hedgerows, paths, walls, ditches and copses, in fact anywhere with good hiding places. They tend to wander over a large area, but usually settle close to a good food supply. This is the reason they are often seen near farm buildings.
FOOD
They are hunters (carnivores) and prey on birds, reptiles, and small mammals especially voles, hares and rabbits. A stoat kills by biting through the back of the skull. Stoats also take eggs of chickens and game birds.
DWELLING PLACE
The nest used for breeding is usually in a hole in a dry stone wall, under a hedgerow or in a dry ditch. Occasionally a stoat will kill the rabbits in a warren and then use that as a base. Most carnivores sleep after a good meal and stoats will sleep in any underground burrow where it has made a kill.
BREEDING
Stoats only raise one litter a year, in the late spring. The number of kittens will vary with the food supply. The kittens are suckled and are weaned after 5 weeks. The parents then teach them to hunt for themselves.
WEASELS
A weasel is like a small stoat, with a shorter tail without the black tip. The males are much larger than the females. The head and body of a male is about 20cm. and a female measures about 18cm. Weasels do not turn white in winter in Britain. Its distribution is similar to that of stoats.
Weasels are active by day and night, but they prefer to hunt under cover. They will use the runs of mice, voles and moles and are sometimes caught in mole traps.
They eat mainly mice, voles and shrews, but will probably kill and eat any other prey that they can master, including young rabbits, small birds and eggs.
The weasel differs from the stoat in its breeding habits. Weasels normally raise two litters a year, the first in late spring and then a second in late summer. The young are weaned after 4 to 5 weeks. The young from the first litter may breed in their first year.
Their numbers fluctuate with the number of mice and voles and, because mice and vole populations vary widely on a cyclical basis, weasel numbers probably vary more than stoat numbers.
T
The Monk
Guest
WEASELS
A weasel is like a small stoat, with a shorter tail without the black tip. The males are much larger than the females. The head and body of a male is about 20cm. and a female measures about 18cm. Weasels do not turn white in winter in Britain. Its distribution is similar to that of stoats.
Weasels are active by day and night, but they prefer to hunt under cover. They will use the runs of mice, voles and moles and are sometimes caught in mole traps.
They eat mainly mice, voles and shrews, but will probably kill and eat any other prey that they can master, including young rabbits, small birds and eggs.
The weasel differs from the stoat in its breeding habits. Weasels normally raise two litters a year, the first in late spring and then a second in late summer. The young are weaned after 4 to 5 weeks. The young from the first litter may breed in their first year.
Their numbers fluctuate with the number of mice and voles and, because mice and vole populations vary widely on a cyclical basis, weasel numbers probably vary more than stoat numbers.
A weasel is like a small stoat, with a shorter tail without the black tip. The males are much larger than the females. The head and body of a male is about 20cm. and a female measures about 18cm. Weasels do not turn white in winter in Britain. Its distribution is similar to that of stoats.
Weasels are active by day and night, but they prefer to hunt under cover. They will use the runs of mice, voles and moles and are sometimes caught in mole traps.
They eat mainly mice, voles and shrews, but will probably kill and eat any other prey that they can master, including young rabbits, small birds and eggs.
The weasel differs from the stoat in its breeding habits. Weasels normally raise two litters a year, the first in late spring and then a second in late summer. The young are weaned after 4 to 5 weeks. The young from the first litter may breed in their first year.
Their numbers fluctuate with the number of mice and voles and, because mice and vole populations vary widely on a cyclical basis, weasel numbers probably vary more than stoat numbers.
T
The Monk
Guest
the latter has been taken directly from the website, just type in Stoats and weasels, many of the sites have photographs
Graham Whatmore
Senior Member
It couldn't be much clearer than that now could it? Well done Mr Monk, I knew you would know their habits
T
The Monk
Guest
no pun intended of course
M
MaNick
Guest
without meaning to sound like i'm taking the preverbial....
how would you tell the difference between a FERRET and a MINK?...
Our friends have a pair of "something" living in their garden.... i think they are mink.... she thinks they are FERRETS...
Either way... they live near a KOI pond (read... koi LAKE!)....
how would you tell the difference between a FERRET and a MINK?...
Our friends have a pair of "something" living in their garden.... i think they are mink.... she thinks they are FERRETS...
Either way... they live near a KOI pond (read... koi LAKE!)....
J
jason fisher
Guest
it's simple
a weasel is weasely distinguished and a stoat ia stoatally different.
sorry bout that but i had to, i know i shouldn't but some times i just can't help meself.
a weasel is weasely distinguished and a stoat ia stoatally different.
sorry bout that but i had to, i know i shouldn't but some times i just can't help meself.
J
jason fisher
Guest
sorry i do apologise i didn't see adrians answer.
Graham Whatmore
Senior Member
Keep up Jason old son
J
jason fisher
Guest
i haven't been to bed since yesterday, i've now been awake for 29 hours cut me some slack.
N
Nigel Moors 2
Guest
No excuse Jason - it was terrible when Adrian wrote it. Secoond time around you can't excuse yourself with the old 'I'm too tired' routine!
You can both fetch your macs now
You can both fetch your macs now