Ermine (Mustela Erminia) by Saki
Appearance: The Ermine is a type of a
weasel. The Ermine is brown in the summer and in the winter they
are white exept the tip of their tail. Ermines camouflage to hide
from their enemies. Ermines grow from 17 ~33cm long. On another
book it said the body and the heads size is 20~22cm long and the
tail is 4~9cm long.The weight is male: 68~105g and the female:
45~75g.
Habitat: Ermines live in the Arctic. They dig burrows. They also live in forests, wood lands,brush lands, stones,walls, wood piles,barns, old buildings,hollow logs,under tree roots and mountains. Most of these places are very warm.
Food: The Ermine eats small animals like birds, eggs, frogs, fish, insects, ground squirrels, lemmings, cotton tails, small hares, porcupines, pikas and rats. Ermines eat warm blooded animals and Ermines can eat bigger animals. They kill their prey by a quick bite behind the neck. This is not usual but if a human is blocking their food, the Ermine will kill the human and eat the human and the food.
Enemies: The Ermine's enemies are Snowy owls, foxes, hawks, eagles, coyotes, badgers, wolves, and hunters. The hunters use the Ermines for their fur. People trap Ermines for food.
Life Cycle: A female Ermines have a litter of 3~15 babies. On another book it said they are born by 4~8 babies. They mate in late spring to early summer. Baby Ermines are blind and helpless when they are born. The young are covered with fine white hair and prominent dark mane of dense fur that develops around the neck by the 3rd week. The young are able to hunt with their mother by the 8th week. The Ermines lives 4~7 years. The male helps care for the babies.
Other Facts: The Ermines have a good smell and vision. The Ermines run through snow easily. Ermines are ferocious hunters. Some of the smallest weasles are most dangerous! They have a bad smell that keeps other Ermines away. In 7 weeks, the male babies are bigger than their mother! The Ermines fur are good for fur coats. Ermines are endangered.