Wild Wednesday - Stoat
A little carnivore with a big character, the stoat - scientific name, Mustela erminea, is one of Britain's most fascinating small predators.
Present throughout mainland UK including West Sussex, these slender hunters are well-adapted to local woodlands, hedgerows, farmland, marshes, riverbanks, and coastal dunes. Covering a wide range of habitats, stoats thrive where there are numerous rabbits and rodents.
In the winter, stoats living in colder climates may turn almost completely white, with just a black tip to the tail. This is known as 'ermine', and the fur is extra dense to help them keep warm. Stoats in warmer parts of the UK may not change colour at all or may take on a 'patchy' appearance.
Appearance and behaviour
- males typically measure 25 to 30 centimetres and weigh 200 to 445 grams, with females slightly smaller
- it is larger than the similar weasel
- brown in summer with creamy belly; some turn white in snow but always keep the black tail tip-a tactic to distract predators
- move with an agile, bounding gait - often spotted near hedgerows or stone walls
Killer skills and diet
- top predator for rabbits (even those much larger than themselves
- they will pursue mice and voles into their underground burrows and will climb trees to raid birds' nests for birds and eggs, they will also eat insects, frogs, toads, newts and even fish
- famous for the mesmerizing 'weasel war dance' a freakish spin-and-hop routine thought to hypnotise prey
Life cycle
- stoats breed in summer, but thanks to a nine to ten month delayed implantation (this means the embryo pauses its development and stays dormant in the womb for a while before attaching and growing) litters of six to 12 'kits' arrive in the spring
- kits are reared for roughly 12 weeks before independence
- males roam across large overlapping territories, especially during the breeding season
- average lifespan is two to five years
Conservation
- the stoat is listed on the 'red list' as 'least concern' in the UK, with around 245,000-462,000 in England
- crucial in controlling rabbit and rodent populations, but vulnerable if these species decline
- facing hazards like persecution, roadkill, and habitat loss, especially near urban edges
Spotting stoats in West Sussex
- the best time is at dawn or dusk, along hedgerows, fields, or coastal paths
- watch for their quick, bouncing run, its sleek body gliding smoothly, or small footprints about two to three centimetres
- listen for high-pitched squeaks and try and stay still
The stoat is a captivating mix of elegance and ferocity - secretive, energetic, and ecologically vital. In West Sussex, this chestnut blur is more common than you may think.
Photo accreditation: Robert E Fuller