Mammals | Stoat
Stoat
Mustela erminea
The stoat is a small predator, with a long, low-slung body that makes it particularly well suited to hunting small rodents and rabbits. It can easily kill an adult rabbit, which is much larger than itself, with a bite to the base of the skull. Stoats are active by day and night. They have an average lifespan in the wild of 2 to 5 years.
| COMMON NAME | Stoat |
| SCIENTIFIC NAME | Mustela erminea |
| STATUS | Least Concern |
| DISTRIBUTION | England, Wales, Ireland & Scotland |
| HABITAT | Woodland, grassland, farmland & upland |
| NATURAL DIET | Rabbits, rodents & birds |
| HEIGHT | 300mm – 400mm |