Stoat

Mustela erminea

Classe: Mammiferi (Mammalia)

Order: Carnivori (Carnivora)

Family: Mustelidi (Mustelidae)

Dimensions: length from 20 to 40 cm.

Habitat: woods, prairies, swamps, screes

Diet: small birds, mice, voles, rabbits, hares.

Reproduction: in summer.

Cubs: during the spring following the mating season, six babies are born

Curiosities: it hunts during the day: while hiding among the tall grass or the rocks, it utters a loud cry and jumps around to attract its preys, killing them with a bite on the neck

Notes: it is either solitary or lives in family groups; it is characterized by a brown-reddish back and a white belly, with a black tip of the tail. In winter it becomes white, apart from the tip of the tail which remains dark.

In the Park: we do not know very much on the distribution of the species in the Park; it has been sighted on Busa delle Vette, Erera, Passo Forca, Passo Cimia, and Mt. Consento.