Stoat

A small mustlid related to the weasel and otter. It has a creamy/white throat and belly, an orangey-brown back, and a black-tipped tail. Similar to a weasel, however a stoat is larger, with a longer tail and a distinctive bounding gait. The stoat’s long, low-slung body makes it well suited to hunting small rodents and rabbits. Though much larger than itself, it can easily kill an adult rabbit. Stoats are easiest to spot in open habitats such as grassland, sand dunes, and heathland. They mate in summer, but delay implantation of the fertilised egg until the spring of the following year. In winter, stoats living in colder climates may turn completely white, with just a black tip on their tail (known as ‘ermine’). Stoats living in warmer parts of the UK may not change colour at all. This species avoids spending long periods of time in the open as it is more vulnerable to attack from foxes and birds of prey; it will instead stick to cover and use features such as hedgerows and walls to move around.

• The fresher a sample is, the more likely the test will be able to extract viable DNA.
• A dropping sample with sufficient biological material to be used as a reserve is required in case the extraction is unsuccessful the first time.
• They are elusive but they leave droppings, which are deposited singly. They are narrow with twisty ends and longer and thicker than weasel droppings. Dropping colour: black-ish/brown. Smell: musky, but not too unpleasant.