The stote is a common, regional name for the stoat, scientifically known as Mustela erminea. It is also frequently called the ermine or short-tailed weasel. This small, agile carnivore belongs to the Mustelid family, which includes badgers, otters, and mink. Mustelids are characterized by their long, slender bodies.
Identification and Physical Traits
The stote possesses an elongated, cylindrical body set low to the ground on short legs. This physique allows it to pursue prey into tight spaces and underground burrows. Its overall length, including the tail, typically ranges between 30 and 40 centimeters. Males are generally larger than females, with adult stotes weighing anywhere from 140 to 450 grams.
In the summer months, the stote’s coat is a rich, chestnut-brown color across its back, flanks, and head. This contrasts sharply with a creamy-white or yellowish underside. A distinct, straight line separates the brown upper fur from the lighter belly fur.
The most reliable identification mark is the tail, which is long and bushy, comprising nearly one-third of the animal’s total length. The tail always ends in a prominent, jet-black tip that remains that color regardless of the season. In colder northern regions, the stote undergoes a seasonal change, molting its brown fur for a dense, pure white coat, a phase known as ermine.
This winter-white fur provides exceptional camouflage against snowy landscapes. The black tail tip persists, making definitive identification possible even when the body is entirely white. This ability to turn white is an adaptation to low temperatures and is less common or absent in stotes found in milder climates.
Geographic Range and Preferred Habitat
The stote is one of the most widely distributed members of the Mustelid family, possessing a vast circumboreal range across the Northern Hemisphere. Its distribution includes much of North America, Europe, and Asia. This extensive range allows the stote to exist in environments from sea level up to elevations of 3,000 meters in mountain ranges.
Stotes thrive in a mosaic of open and sheltered areas. They are commonly found in woodlands, along hedgerows, in open fields, and especially in areas with abundant cover, such as riparian zones near water sources. They frequently inhabit areas near human settlements and farmland, often making use of stone walls, hollow logs, and existing rodent burrows for shelter and den sites.
The stote favors areas with a high population of small mammals, such as grasslands near rabbit warrens. The availability of prey and suitable cover are the primary factors governing its habitat preference.
Hunting Strategies and Diet
The stote is a hyperactive predator, built for speed and agility, capable of reaching speeds of up to 20 miles per hour during a pursuit. Its hunting strategy combines stealthy pursuit and bursts of high-speed energy, often involving a distinctive, arched-back bounding gait.
The stote’s diet consists predominantly of small mammals, including mice, voles, shrews, and especially rabbits, which can be several times the stote’s own weight. When ambushing prey, it delivers a swift and precise bite to the base of the skull or the neck to sever the spinal cord. This carnivore is also an opportunistic feeder, supplementing its diet with birds, eggs, insects, fish, and occasionally carrion when primary prey is scarce.
A peculiar hunting tactic involves the stote performing a series of erratic, acrobatic movements, sometimes called the “weasel war dance.” This behavior is thought to confuse or distract potential prey like rabbits or birds, causing them to momentarily freeze or drop their guard.
Differentiating the Stote from the Weasel
Confusion between the stote (Mustela erminea) and the common weasel (Mustela nivalis) is frequent, as both are small, long-bodied mustelids. The most reliable distinction lies in their relative size; the stote is noticeably larger and more robust, reaching up to 40 centimeters. The weasel is the smallest carnivore in its range, typically measuring only 20 to 27 centimeters.
The most definitive field mark is the tail. The stote possesses a black-tipped tail that is relatively long, measuring about one-third of its body length. Conversely, the weasel’s tail is significantly shorter and stubbier, with the fur remaining uniformly brown all the way to the tip.
Their movements offer another clue, as the stote tends to move in a characteristic series of high, arched bounds. In contrast, the weasel runs with a flatter, lower-to-the-ground motion. Additionally, the stote is the only one of the two species that turns white in winter in colder regions, a seasonal change the weasel does not undergo.