Europe and North America
Ermine information and facts: 1  The ermine gets its name for the colour of its fur. 2  In fact, the word ermine refers to an animal with a white coat, while stoat is used for the individuals with brown fur on their back and head and white fur on their belly. 1 In both states the tip of the tail is black. Like many other species of this genus, the ermine has the faculty of ejecting a fluid of a musky odor. Its fur is short, soft and silky; the best skins being brought from Russia, Sweden and Norway and Hudson Bay territories. Its fur was formerly one of the insignia of royalty, and is still used by judges. This white fur is known as ermine, a term originating either from the Latin phrase Armenius mūs (Armenian rat) or from a word common to the Germanic and Baltic languages, hence the scientific name. At this stage the stoat itself may be referred to as ermine, or as being in ermine. The North American name for the stoat, the Short-tailed weasel arose because its tail length distinguishes it from the long-tailed weasel. In general it is found farther north. Both species can be distinguished from the Least Weasel because the Least weasel always lacks a black tip on its tail. My views, research and opinions concerning the care of the Domestic Ferret. The ermine (Mustela erminea) is a small mammal of the family Mustelidae. It is also known as the short-tailed weasel and the stoat. The stoat is a small carnivorous mammal, they grow to about 16 inches long including the tail. They are reddish brown with a slightly yellowish white belly fur and a black tip to the tail. Taxonomically, they belong to the weasel family, and the 'true weasel' genus. However ermine (Mustela erminea) are a distinctly different species to the animal commonly referr … ed to as a weasel (Mustela nirvalis). The ermine is found all over Canada, northern USA, and Eurasia. The Ermine lives in northern biomes such as taigas and tundras. The Siberian tundra is a vast land that is almost completely dark during the winter season because of its far north location. Also, the climate in winter is extremely cold. In fact, the Siberian Tundra is the coldest biome in the world. The males do not usually help raise the young. An Ermine's life span is 4 to 7 years. Aside from raising young, the ermine is a solitary animal. The ermine is a carnivore and eats rabbits, small insects and rodents. This seems to come from the Lithuanian word šarmu. In Ireland (where the least weasel does not occur), the stoat is referred to as weasel, while in North America it is called short-tailed weasel. A male stoat is called a dog, hob, or jack, while a female is called a bitch or jill. The collective noun for stoats is either gang or pack. The stoat first arose in Eurasia, shortly after the long-tailed weasel arose as its mirror image in North America 2 million years ago. The stoat thrived during the Ice Age, as its small size and long body allowed it to easily operate beneath snow, as well as hunt in burrows. The ermine fur, with which we are all familiar, is furnished by the stoat, a small animal of the weasel tribe. It is found over both temperate Europe and North America, but is common only in the north. Like many other species of this genus, the ermine has the faculty of ejecting a fluid of a musky odor. Its fur is short, soft and silky; the best skins being brought from Russia, Sweden and Norway and Hudson Bay territories. Its fur was formerly one of the insignia of royalty, and is still used by judges. The ermine is a small animal that weighs between 3 - 15 ounces. The head and body length can range from 7 - 13 inches and the tail can grow up to 5 inches. The males are much longer than the females. The males do not usually help raise the young. An Ermine's life span is 4 to 7 years. Aside from raising young, the ermine is a solitary animal. The ermine is a carnivore and eats rabbits, small insects and rodents.
http://www.animalstown.com/animals/e/ermine/ermine.php http://chestofbooks.com/reference/Wonder-Book-Of-Knowledge/Where-Does-Ermine-Come-From.html http://schools-wikipedia.org/wp/s/Stoat.htm http://www.answers.com/Q/Where_does_a_ermine_that_is_also_known_as_a_stoat_or_short_tailed_weasel_come_from http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/ermine.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoat http://chestofbooks.com/reference/Wonder-Book-Of-Knowledge/Where-Does-Ermine-Come-From.html http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/ermine.htm
where does ermine come from