Today’s blog post I thought I’d do something a little
different and slightly random and give you a brief fact file on stoats:
~ A female stoat has the gestation period of 11 months
which is unusual due to the fact that it differs markedly from the general
relationship between gestation period and body mass for mammals (most mammals
this size have a much smaller gestation period).
~ They come from the Ermine family which includes weasels
and ferrets. A family noted for its reputation to aggression, fondness for eggs
and desirability of pelt.
~ Animal
rights campaigners have at times released members of the Ermine family from
Ermine farms without permission which has had a disastrous effect on the local
ecosystem as they are skilled predators.
~ They are highly intelligent and can be trained
to do many tricks.
~ Stoats belong to a illustrious group of animals
whose name includes a common crop. Other members of this group include the
Corncrake and the Cockatrice.
~ Stoats have an unusually large amount of letters
in their name given that their name is monosyllabic. Other examples of 5
lettered monosyllabic animal names include the mouse, the horse, the shark and
the swift. 6 lettered monosyllabic names are even rarer, the Chough being an
example.
~ Stoats can make excellent pets and leashes can
be procured for them also.
~ Stoats rarely leave messy remains of their prey.
~ Its droppings are long and thin often with a
tapering twist at either end.
~ They run with a bounding gallop.
In order to tell apart a weasel and a stoat it is merely necessary
to remember that a weasel is weasely weconisible whilst a stoat is stoatally
different.
Hope you've enjoyed this random little post! I'll be back soon with more yummy makes!
Amanda xo