Most people know stoats can turn white in winter. But very few understand exactly how this transition takes place. This film follows a stoat in my garden named Bandita as she slowly performs this magic trick, becoming white and then turning back to brown again as the days get warmer
Ermine stoat
The ability to turn white is known as ermine . It's a genetic trait that passes down through generations.
Weasel or stoat?
Stoats are part of the mustelid family which includes badgers, otters and pine martens . Confusingly, a stoat is called a short-tailed weasel in the US.
Following the transition
The transformation from chestnut brown to white has rarely been documented. Now I have to captured the entire process on my cameras, from start to finish. And back again.
Triggered by the environment
The process is triggered by a change in temperature and shorter daylight hours.
Moustache first
In this instance, the coat change began in November and began with a few white hairs around her muzzle spreading further up her nose. Then her tail started to turning white at the point just above its black tip. The rest of her paws were next, along with the tips of her ears . And soon the new coat progressed up her legs and worked its way up her back until it enveloped most of her body.
The tail remains black
Some stoats turn completely white, apart from the black tip of their tails , but Bandita retained a brown band across her face like a Bandit’s mask . Which is why I named her Bandita.
Moult can take months
The moult of brown fur took Bandita two months to complete. But, I’ve heard in some cases, a stoat can turn ermine in a week. These fast transitions are called a catastrophic moults.
Shedding the coat is faster
As winter comes to an end, stoats stand out against the green and brown landscape . But as the days get longer and temperatures start to rise again, the coat soon turns back to chestnut-brown. This is a faster process, taking around three weeks and the stoat's fur can be mottled and patchy as it changes.
Genetic predisposition
Unfortunately, Bandita no longer lives in my garden, but many of her young are still around. Recently I spotted a partially ermine stoat on my cameras at Fotherdale. Fingers crossed it sticks around so I can capture this incredible process again.
#weasel #stoat #ermine #robertefuller
