Ermine

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Mustela erminea 

     This bold little carnivore, scarcely 30 cm long, is found throughout all of Canada, the western United States, Europe, and Asia. In summer, its coat is a rich chocolate brown except for the undersides of the body and legs. In winter, the colour changes to a clear white, broken only by a black tip on the tail. Muscular, agile, and curious, they have been known to clamber up a human’s clothing to reach food, or to attack someone who releases them from a trap. They are seen occasionally during daylight hours but are primarily nocturnal in activity. 
     Some ermine appropriate the burrows of mice or ground squirrels and adapt them for their own use. Others build dens in hollow logs, under tree roots, or in abandoned buildings. 
     The ermine’s diet consists primarily of mice, but they also prey upon cottontails, small hares, porcupines, squirrels, pikas, and rats. They are hunted by coyotes, badgers, foxes, owls, and wolverines. 
     The small skins are used in the fur trade for trimming coats, stoles, and neck-pieces. 
 

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