Overview

The stoat is a small predator with the attitude of something ten times its size — fast, fearless, and capable of killing rabbits many times its weight with a bite to the back of the skull. In summer it is chestnut brown with a cream belly; in northern winters it turns white except for the telltale black tip of its tail.

Stoats perform a hypnotic bouncing dance — the 'weasel war dance' — that may confuse prey before a strike. They are common across Britain but rarely seen, slipping through hedgerows and stone walls on quick, looping hunts.

Habitat

Farmland, hedgerows, woodland edge, and moorland across the UK suit stoats. They nest in burrows taken from rabbits and rats, and range widely through cover hunting small mammals and birds.

Countries found

Stoat in United Kingdom

Interesting facts

01
Stoats turn white in winter in northern areas — except the black tip of their tail.
02
They can take prey much larger than themselves, including rabbits.
03
The black tail tip may distract predators away from the stoat's body.