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ID: Weasel or Stoat? (1 Viewer)

Ben M

Well-known member
Yesterday morning I was out around my local patch (Bestwood Country Park) and spotted my first ever weasel/stoat. At least I hope it was one of the two! It was running about over tree roots in a small wooded area close to a farm.

I had my video camera with me at the time, but before I managed to get it out of my bag and switched on, it had spotted me and gone for cover. Luckily it was intrigued enough to let me get some footage before entirely disappearing into a hole in the tree it was sat on.

Since getting home, I've looked up the ID criteria for stoats and weasels, but can't be certain from the footage I have and the brief glances I got beforehand. Based on my vague recollection of tail size and no recollection of the black tail tip, I'd say it was most probably a weasel. I've attached two stills from the footage, which might help to confirm the species.

Is an ID even possible from these images?
 

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looks like what we in the states call a least weasel, and since that species is the same as the british "weasel", the aforementioned ID is probably correct.
 
Bah! Matt's link beats me to the appalling line, "A Weasel is weasily wecognised and a stoat is stoatally different", and I have to congratulate other forum members on resisting that. It looks like a weasel to me, Ben, but I would need to see the tail tip before I ever formally "decided" I'd be interested to know what other ID criteria there are. Isn't there 'something' about the ears?

Googled without findingg the answer, but this is interesting and entertaining: http://www.fieldnotebook.com/field/weasels.html

Graham
 
Size is very different, weasels much smaller, only about 6" long, excluding tail. Stoats are much bigger, about 12" long. Your picture looks like a weasel.
 
Size is quite variable, I think, Joanne. The above link gives 6"-10" for weasel, 6"-12" for stoat, presumably including tail. I'm not sure how much of the range of size is age or sex related. I agree, stoats I have seen have been on average notably bigger than weasels, but it's not diagnostic. And of course size is never a good ID characteristic without something to compare it to.
 
Hi everyone and thanks for the helpful replies.

When I was doing my own research, that very link posted by Matt comes top in Google, but I found other useful ones too. One mentioned size of tail to overall size as a good ID factor and, in this case, strongly suggests weasel.

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/mammal/stoat.shtml

The county mammal recorder is pretty sure it's a weasel too, so I'll go with that for now and try to get some better views next time. At least I know to look for the black tail tip now.

Many thanks.
 
Another feature I look for is the demarcation line along the animal's side - where it's reddish above and white below - I always remind myself that it's generally Wiggly for Weasels and Straight for Stoats! ;)

I see stoats and weasels a lot nowadays since moving up to North Northumberland and along with the straight v wiggly line I also look for the black tip to the tail in the stoat ( they also seem to have a longer furry tail than a weasel! ) and the size! All the weasels I have seen in the field have appeared TINY - more like a large elongated mouse with a short tail ;) Whereas the stoats are much bigger.
One stoat that I observed last summer was tugging on a roadkill rabbit and was completely oblivious to me in my car just feet away - it was THE biggest stoat I have ever seen!!! Not as big as a ferret but not far off either!!! :eek!:
They must breed them big in Northumberland! ;)

One thing I always do if I see a stoat/weasel - I make a high-pitched squeak! If you keep very still chances are they WILL pop back out to see what the noise is.
One stoat I observed at Hauxley Nature Reserve was watched running back and forth across a grasst clearing for ten minutes! It seemed to be oblivious to me sitting on a tree stump just ten feet or so away - until it suddenly ran towards me! It got to within a foot of my boot before suddenly realising and bounding sideways into deep grass!
Best view I've ever had of a Stoat :t: I was buzzing for the rest of the day and couldn't wait to tell my husband Neil when I got home!
 
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Gill Osborne said:
One thing I always do if I see a stoat/weasel - I make a high-pitched squeak! If you keep very still chances are they WILL pop back out to see what the noise is.
Thanks Gill. I read that sucking on the back of your hand to make such squeaks works quite well!
 
Gill Osborne said:
All the weasels I have seen in the field have appeared TINY - more like a large elongated mouse with a short tail ;) Whereas the stoats are much bigger.
One stoat that I observed last summer was tugging on a roadkill rabbit and was completely oblivious to me in my car just feet away - it was THE biggest stoat I have ever seen!!! Not as big as a ferret but not far off either!!! :eek!:

Agree re: the size thing..... Stoats are much bigger.... I was thinking pretty much ferret/squirrel sized myself and will kill and carry off a full-size rabbit no probs at all.... Weasels are tiny (according to old-wives tales, able to pass through a wedding ring....) which gives you a bit of an idea.

I did once watch a weasel finish off a rat in about 2 secs though - the disadvantage in size counted for absolutely nothing at all. The rat stood no chance!


Ruby
 
Ben M said:
Thanks Gill. I read that sucking on the back of your hand to make such squeaks works quite well!


Also works quite well with owls and foxes,

Though you might wanna check no one is watching you first ;)

Matt
 
I once watched a stoat kill five avocet chicks and carted them off one by one,whilst being attacked by the parents and being divebombed by terns and lapwings.
 
dddiver said:
I once watched a stoat kill five avocet chicks and carted them off one by one,whilst being attacked by the parents and being divebombed by terns and lapwings.

The mustalids are all pretty ferocious. I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of any of them.
 
matt green said:
Though you might wanna check no one is watching you first ;)

You been caught out 'pishing' too Matt ;) I just do it automatically now without thinking - gawd knows what folks must think LOL

I've tried it with small birds like warblers and tits when they've been hidden within a hedge or tree. As long as you stay quite still and against a wall/tree etc you can get some good results :t:
 
i think there was a short bbc program on stoats. i was amazed at how it could carry off a rabbit twice, sometimes three, times the size of it! i woke up and find one in my garden once, luckily it did no damage to any of the garden birds. the readers digest field guide to animals has a very useful size comparison of all the similar looking mustelids. its weird how badgers are also mustelids, but look very dissimilar to ferrets and stoats.
 
Was winter camping in the Lake District many years ago. Returned to my tent to find a hole in the front corner. Upon opening the flap discovered a stoat had broken in and tucked into the pile of food I had esp bacon. Very cold snowy night. Took me a good 10 minutes to rid the tent of the savage so and so. Spat and snarled at me as I waved my ice axe around at it. No way was he coming out and as far as he was concerned, no way was I coming in. Eventually was evicted unharmed into the snow of Braithwaite near Keswick. Ruined a good vango tent mind.
 
Gill Osborne said:
You been caught out 'pishing' too Matt ;) I just do it automatically now without thinking - gawd knows what folks must think LOL

Last Saturday and a visit to the Tate Britain. In conifer hedge outside there were several birds calling including a crest. Automtically pished it, much to the embarrassment of my partner, as Millbank was quite a busy thoroughfare at the time. Turned out to be a successful pish as up popped a goldcrest.
 
jforgham said:
Gill Osborne said:
You been caught out 'pishing' too Matt ;) I just do it automatically now without thinking - gawd knows what folks must think LOL

Last Saturday and a visit to the Tate Britain. In conifer hedge outside there were several birds calling including a crest. Automtically pished it, much to the embarrassment of my partner, as Millbank was quite a busy thoroughfare at the time. Turned out to be a successful pish as up popped a goldcrest.


Here's a great tip to save you snogging the back of your hand infront of loved ones, or general public ;)

Go out into your shed or garage and find an old nut and bolt,bigger the better! You might need to wash it with detergant to get rid of any oily residue.If it's perfectly clean it will make an excellent ''pishing'' device.
Just gently tweak the nut around the bolt shaft,it should make a squeaky sound.Perfect for luring owls,mice,weasels and foxes etc!

Matt
 
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