Stoat

[armb]

A stoat ran across the road ahead of me as I cycled in this morning. Stoats have a similar body shape and colour (at least in the summer) to weasels, but are larger, and have a longer tail with a black tip. So, not stoatally different, but still weaselly distinguished if you get a reasonable look.

Comments

Re: You mustelid a sheltered life...

[armb.livejournal.com]

My wife did see otters in Wicken Fen Lode not long ago (and I've seen them in zoos, and off Skye), and I've seen (domestic) ferrets and a (wild) weasel. I haven't seen any of the others though, as far as I rememeber.
My parents did once have insulation chewed off wiring in their car's engine compartment while they were in Germany, and were told it would have been the local pine martens.

Pronoun trouble

[akicif.livejournal.com]

it'd appear that I'm the one with the sheltered life: I've seen a domestic ferret (at the Otley Show - I don't think they were going to subject the poor thing to trousering), and once I just missed seeing an alleged badger (I saw the undergrowth move, and that was that).