Mustelidae Spotlight: Stoat

It is hard to talk about the stoat without comparing them to weasels. The reason for this is because stoats look almost the same as weasels but are much larger. The common weasel generally does not get longer than 8.5 inches. The stoat tops that at 12.8 inches from head to tail. Because of this striking difference, I personally see the stoat as superior. Why not? Seems to me that in the world of carnivores, bigger is better! Bigger is also more intimidating.

If I was a mouse--and believe me, I would die to experience that--I think coming across something as big and tall as a stoat would seem far more worrisome than one of the little guys I might be able to outrun. Some might say the smaller weasels have the advantage since they are so small and sneaky, but the stoat would perhaps disagree with that. They are much stronger with their extra body mass. a group of stoats could easily massacre a warren of rabbits with a bit of teamwork. It's all about strength and power.

One thing about this mustie that interested me was their winter coat. It turns pure, snowy white when it gets cold out, which is why many people refer to the stoat as an ermine. This coat is so amazing to look at, that it is no wonder that this creature is often hunted for its fur. Would you think that the stoat itself might be proud of his brilliant ermine coat despite the fact that it puts him in danger? I actually think so!

Now, I really like stoats, and I want to explain why. In the wild, these guys are really dangerous to just abut everything that scurries and hops around in the forest. They are brutal and terrible but seem to have some sense of self-worth on top of it. I have always seen the stoat a something of a carnivorous ruling class among musties. After all, they ARE taller!

As I was looking through some Celtic mythology, I ran into an interesting thing about stoats. If you were to run into one, it was considered bad luck. But don't worry! Apparently, if you refer to the stoat as your neighbor, he'll let you go in piece. See how sucking up to the big guy keeps you from getting into trouble?

In Gary Kilworth's novel series "The Welkin Weasels," the whole of Welkin was ruled by a terrible stoat named Prince Poynt. This stoat was so full of it that he actually willed his fur to stay ermine all year long because he believed it made him seem more royal. As a prince, he was a royal pain and treated everyone horribly. The weasels were all his servants, and yes, it was because they were so much tinier than the stoats were.

In my own mind, I see stoats as a corrupt and callous people. They take what they want and really care only for themselves. They are not as sneaky as much as they are simply ruthless. They have power and intend to throw it around for all to see. That does not mean they cannot be put in their place, however. These guys sometimes do need a reality check. After all, there ARE bigger and stronger things in nature, and some of them are musties.

Thank you for reading this blog. If you enjoyed it, you can comment below, or you can email me at tooie@tooiekangaroo.com. Rawr!