The stoat is the smallest of the mustelids, but it is perhaps the most aggressive of them all. It has a weight between 100 to 300 grams and a ferocity, which together with a dizzying agility and speed of movement makes it a terrifying super-predator; capable of facing and defeating prey ten or twenty times heavier than them.
The stoat is distributed throughout the northern parts of the Eurasian and North American continents, living in steppes and low- altitude wooded alpine areas. Not threatened.
Discover in this article on our site the stoat as a pet and if it is advisable or not to have one… Read on to find out everything on the ermine.
Is an ermine a recommended pet?
If living dangerously appeals to one, maybe yes. But if you are a person who is not fascinated by being bitten by a kind of hairy ray that moves in a dazzling way, the ermine is not the best of the alternatives For For this, it is better to adopt a ferret since they are somewhat similar in their aesthetics, but it has been living as a pet with man for thousands of years. The stoat no.
However, if there are no children in the house and your dog or cat tends to flee in the face of impending danger, you may be able to adopt one of the most beautiful beasts in the world.
The speci alty of the stoat is to bite the neck of its prey and bleed it dry. It doesn't matter if it's a rabbit or an eagle. It clings with nails and teeth to an area on the back of the attacked animal that is difficult to access with the legs or claws of the victim, who desperately tries to escape from the deadly prey of the stoat. The stoat widens the wound until the blood flows unstoppably.
Cats have a better chance of surviving a stoat than dogs. This mustelid does not climb, and the cat reaches up to its neck with its hooked nails while the dog does not have it so easy.
Adopting a stoat
I strongly discourage adopting a stoat I am not aware that stoat farms exist, although many uninformed people confuse stoat farms with mink with stoat farms for the simple fact that they are both mustelids. The stoats that we find in the market normally come from the illegal capture of wild specimens, and this execrable trade must be avoided.
However it is not uncommon to find an orphaned stoat. This happens when for some reason the cub stoat (a tiny being) gets lost or his mother is run over. In these cases it is lawful to save the little one and adopt it, although the best option is undoubtedly to go to a fauna recovery center.
Before picking it up, wait for the stoat to call its mother. If after a while she doesn't show up, it will be time to save the orphaned stoat's life.
The little orphan at home
The highest priority will be to give the puppy ferret milk to hydrate and satiate it. If you already have some teeth, you have to complete your diet with tiny pieces of meat, be it turkey or chicken slices.
An immature stoat can be tamed in a similar way to a ferret. He should be taught to bite softly during his games and to use the cat litter to relieve himself. It should be borne in mind that the stoat is much more active than the ferret, which is why much more time should be devoted to games and activity.
Ermine morphology
There are more than 30 subspecies of stoat, but generalizing a lot we could group them in two columns:
- cold-climate stoats
- temperate stoats
Cold climate stoats have two types of coloration through shedding. During the winter this first type of stoat turns completely snowy white, except for the tip of its tail which is deep black. During the summer the ermine is dressed in a cinnamon color from head to tail, and an ivory white from its jaw to the genitals. It is a beautiful animal.
The temperate climate stoats maintain their summer appearance throughout the year. They never turn white. Naturally, however, during the winter the silky coat of fur becomes denser and warmer.
The tip of the stoat's tail is always black.
Feeding the stoat
The wild stoat is basically carnivorous, though it does eat berries occasionally. It also devours insects, large and small birds, rabbits, hares, rats and mice, frogs and any prey that crosses its path.
If you have a domesticated stoat, your vet will be the one to give you the appropriate feeding pattern. It is very important to be recommended by a professional.
The stoat and other pets
If you have a stoat raised from a very young age he may be able to empathize with your dog or cat, although he will always be the boss. Although you will hardly get him to stop greedily looking at the frightened parakeet or canary, whose appetizing and throbbing appearance will be a magnet for the stoat, which does not climb but lavishes prodigious jumps.
If the stoat has been captured as an adult, you will never be able to tame it and it will become a very dangerous host for you, your families, and your pets. Don't adopt him, he prefers to live in freedom!
