Weasel

[snake]

I was watching this little chap working along a dry ditch this morning.
He disappeared for while then popped his head out just a few metres from me.
I managed a few pics before he disappeared again.
Nice to watch.

[valleyforge]

A handsome chap indeed ... great photo snake.

[stigofthedump]

Hi Snake. What an absolutely stunning photo!


Vince

[vole-woman]

Wow. <jealoussmiley>

How can you tell it's a weasel and not a small stoat? I know their tails are different, but that bit's not in shot.

[valleyforge]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

How can you tell it's a weasel and not a small stoat?

Same way I guess you can tell a water vole, from a bank vole, from a field vole.

Weasels are very much smaller and more slightly built than a stoat, with shorter legs ... and so give the impression of being longer in the 'wheel-base'.

The muzzle of a weasel is both shorter and correspondingly (for its size) wider than in a stoat, so the ears appear as more prominent features of the head.

The nose on a weasel is generally lighter coloured than the stoat's, which is invariably dark brown/black.

Weasels also tend to be more of an orangey-red colour (as in snake's photo) as compared to the dark grey-brown of a stoat, although colours do vary between individuals and over the course of the year.

Both have white underparts but the dividing line between back and belly is much more clearly defined in the stoat than in the weasel, and of course as you rightly point out ... stoats generally have a black tip to their tail (which comes to rather more of a point than that of a weasel).

Hope that helps?

[pammosley]

Wow, fantastic photo
You see so much where you live, I`m very envious

[Adam Cheeseman]

Originally Posted by valleyforge

Same way I guess you can tell a water vole, from a bank vole, from a field vole.

Weasels are very much smaller and more slightly built than a stoat, with shorter legs ... and so give the impression of being longer in the 'wheel-base'.

The muzzle of a weasel is both shorter and correspondingly (for its size) wider than in a stoat, so the ears appear as more prominent features of the head.

The nose on a weasel is generally lighter coloured than the stoat's, which is invariably dark brown/black.

Weasels also tend to be more of an orangey-red colour (as in snake's photo) as compared to the dark grey-brown of a stoat, although colours do vary between individuals and over the course of the year.

Both have white underparts but the dividing line between back and belly is much more clearly defined in the stoat than in the weasel, and of course as you rightly point out ... stoats generally have a black tip to their tail (which comes to rather more of a point than that of a weasel).

Hope that helps?

Stoats are a more creamy white as opposed to pure white of the weasel.

Cheers,

Adam

[Little Firewall]

Superb shot .... well done.

[valleyforge]

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

Stoats are a more creamy white as opposed to pure white of the weasel.

Though not incorrect, that's possibly too much of a generalization to be really useful as a distinquishing feature Adam ... the 'white' underparts of both species can vary considerably depending on state of moult, presence of hormones (ie. whether or not in breeding condition), age, and environment to name just a few variables.

In older animals of either species, the underbelly 'white' does tend to become more 'yellowish-grey' than the cleaner, brighter colours displayed by youngsters.

[vole-woman]

Originally Posted by valleyforge

Same way I guess you can tell a bank vole, from a field vole.

I can't always!

Thanks for your detailed answer. I'd love to see more weasels and stoats.