Stoat

About

The Stoat is a small, very agile predator from the weasel family. In Ukraine, it is found almost throughout the territory, except for Crimea and coastal areas, and lives in river valleys, along streams, brooks, and ponds, near swamps, in forests and on forest edges, in clearings and thickets. Occasionally, it ventures into fields and even villages.

Its body is long and flexible, with short legs, and the length of adult animals ranges from 16 to 38 cm including the tail. In summer, the Stoat is reddish-brown on top and white underneath, while in cold regions in winter, it becomes dazzlingly white. The only constant is the tip of the tail, which is always black. This feature makes it easiest to distinguish the Stoat from the similar but smaller Weasel, which has a short tail without a black tuft.

The Stoat is active all year round, more often at dusk and at night. It swims excellently, climbs bushes and trees, and after snowfalls, hunts right under the snow. It mainly eats mice and voles, often destroying more than it can eat during years of their mass reproduction, as well as birds and their eggs, reptiles, and frogs. It makes its den in rodent burrows, tree hollows, piles of brushwood, and among stones. The pregnancy in females is very long, lasting 210–330 days, as the embryo takes a long time to start developing.

Due to diseases, harsh winters, and the drainage of swamps, the number of Stoats has decreased. In the Red Book of Ukraine 2021, the Stoat has the status of a vulnerable species, so hunting it is prohibited.

Where in the Carpathians

The map shows where naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records), not every place it lives. The Ukrainian Carpathians are less studied, so a blank area does not mean the species is absent.

Countries

Ukraine · Czechia · Poland · Slovakia · Romania · Austria

Mountain ranges

Chornohora, Maramureș Mountains, Gorgany, Svydovets, Pokuttia-Bukovina Carpathians, Krasna Polonyna, Polonynian Ridge, Silesian Beskids, Slovak Ore Mountains

Altitude belts

Foothills (below 600 m) · Beech forests (600–1200 m) · Conifer forests (1200–1600 m)

When to see it

From naturalists’ observations in the Carpathians (iNaturalist, research grade): the darker the cell, the more often the species is seen that month.

Protection and rules

A species in the Red Book of Ukraine (vulnerable); hunting is prohibited.

Red Data Book of Ukraine

FAQ