Stoat © Margaret Holland
©Richard Steel/2020VISION
The stoat is a small mustelid, related to the weasel and otter. It has an orange body, black-tipped tail and distinctive bounding gait. Spot it on grassland, heaths and in woodlands across the UK.
Species information
Statistics
Length: 24-32cmTail: 9-14cm
Weight: 140-450g
Average lifespan: 2-5 years
Conservation status
Common.
When to see
January to DecemberAbout
The stoat is a small predator, with a long, low-slung body that makes it particularly well suited to hunting small rodents and rabbits. It can easily kill an adult rabbit, which is much larger than itself, with a bite to the base of the skull. Stoats are active by day and night, and are easiest to spot in open habitats, such as sand dunes, grassland and heathland. They mate in summer, but delay implantation of the fertilised egg until the spring of the following year. They have one litter of six to twelve kits a year.How to identify
The stoat has an orangey-brown back, a creamy white throat and belly, and a black-tipped tail. It is larger than the similar weasel, has a longer tail and has a distinctive bounding gait, arching its back as it moves; weasels do not bound, but run close to the ground.In our area
The Irish stoat (Mustela erminea hibernica) is the only stoat found on the island of Ireland and is a separate Irish-sub species. It is sometimes mistakenly called a weasel in rural areas, although these are absent from NI and Ireland.