when do weasels become ermines? (Warning: disturbing image)

[forestgnome]

This poor fellow met his end on the Kancamagus. Picture was taken on 11/24 and he was not stiff. There was only a local dusting of snow and lots of areas with no snow at all. I had the impression that the snow signaled time to change into the white winter attire. Is it instead the angle of sunlight or length of day, etc.? Could not find the answer on the sites I read.


happy trails

 

[Dugan]

Please, some of us would appreciate a warning, or perhaps a link and a warning, instead of clicking on an innocently titled thread only to find a sad and gory image.

Thanks for making my breakfast very unpleasant.

 

[NewHampshire]

Purely speculation on my part, but perhaps it has to do with temperatures? A certain number of days/nights reaching below a general temp. over the course of a general number of days?

Brian

P.S. An Ermine is part of the weasle family and thus is always a weasle. So thus weaselse do not "become" ermines, they already are.

 

[Waumbek]

Please, some of us would appreciate a warning, or perhaps a link and a warning, instead of clicking on an innocently titled thread only to find a sad and gory image.

Thanks for making my breakfast very unpleasant.

Not to hijack this thread completely, but, Dugan, if it helps any, here is an anecdote about a very live ermine that I watched in my front yard yesterday morning. First I saw a snowshoe (variegated) hare, now in white phase, leave the barn and head down the driveway. It hung a left when it reached the road and disappeared around the corner. I figured that was it, but no.

A few minutes later, an ermine, in white phase, pops up in the front yard and goes ballistic, i.e., runs around crazily in its zig zag pattern of hunting. For about 15 minutes it ran all over the yard and driveway in this berserk fashion, apparently hunting the rabbit, who was long gone down the road. It finally gave up and disappeared back to where I think it is denning up for the winter.

There's an ermine-and-hare story in here somewhere.

Forestgnome, as for your question, I would guess that an ermine gets at least several "signals" about when to turn white. I know that cats have at least several homing devices, not just one, as if they carry a compass, GPS, and a good sense of direction all at once.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ermine, the animal is called a stoat, and during the winter

the color changes to clean white. This white fur is known as "ermine", a term originating either from the Latin phrase "Armenius mūs" ("Armenian rat")[2] or from a word common to the Germanic and Baltic languages,[3] hence the scientific name. At this stage the stoat itself may be referred to as ermine, or as being "in ermine".

HTH,
Tim

 

[skiguy]

Please, some of us would appreciate a warning, or perhaps a link and a warning, instead of clicking on an innocently titled thread only to find a sad and gory image.

Thanks for making my breakfast very unpleasant.

Ditto! I really enjoy your photos usually..but you should edit this post. thanks

 

[forestgnome]

Sorry to anyone who was offended by the picture of a dead ermine.

Observing dead animals is an important part of learning about the forest environment, but I'll refrain from posting pictures of such in the future.

Hope this helps...

happy trails

 

[Davehiker]

Where's the picture?

Gee, with all the build-up now I want to see the picture! Can you link to it?

I'm a sicko and not squeamish about roadkill. I've actually eaten a grouse and a rabbit that were road killed. I came upon them when they were still warm. I've known several people who regularly get road-killed deer from legal and semi-legal sources. Friends who are trappers value road-killed pelts if the season is right.

I'm not a hunter or trapper, but I feel that if an animal's killed it should be used, if possible.

 

[Fisher Cat]

Purely speculation on my part, but perhaps it has to do with temperatures? A certain number of days/nights reaching below a general temp. over the course of a general number of days?

Brian

P.S. An Ermine is part of the weasle family and thus is always a weasle. So thus weaselse do not "become" ermines, they already are.

Perhaps its an old wives tale but our neighbor growing up had a long history of "dealing"with them and once made the observation that over time he noticed pelt change was also consistent with the waning daylight hours at this time of year.

 

[grouseking]

Wish I could have seen the image. Perhaps a link? A dead animal is a part of life, and from what it sounds like, possibly roadkill, something that we contrubute to... which we see everyday. Gimme a break.

 

[forestgnome]

Wish I could have seen the image. Perhaps a link? A dead animal is a part of life, and from what it sounds like, possibly roadkill, something that we contrubute to... which we see everyday. Gimme a break.

Agreed, but I think Dugan's and Skiguy's point is valid. I should have used a link and a warning that the ermine was roadkill. I was disturbed as well to see the poor fellow dead in the road. These are my freinds. I've given up complaining here about speeding in WMNF.

ermine roadkill

 

[sleeping bear]

Thanks for reposting the link.

Roadkill is such a great opportunity to see animals that you might not otherwise. Yeah, sad it's dead, but make use of the opportunity.
Cool photo.

Without looking at any sources this moment, my guess is that the change in sunlight signals the change. I recently picked up (and can barely put down) a book called Winter: an ecological handbook. It makes many references to studies done at the Teton Science School and NOLS. SUPER interesting to read, highly recommend.

 

[forestgnome]

I'll check that out.

The ermine became someone's meal, btw. I moved him to the edge of the woods and he was gone the next day.

happy trails

 

[sleeping bear]

According to Winter: An Ecological Handbook, there are more than one factors that determine when a weasel changes color. It is a complex phenomenon influenced by the animals' internal clock and environmental cues. The internal clock is affected by the changes in light (photoperiod), which in turn influences changes in hormones produced by the body. Hormones are also influenced by temperature and the presence of snow.

Super interesting.

 

[Puck]

Does anyone remember a book that came out about 20-25years ago call "Flattened Fauna." ? It was a field guide to road kill. Actually it was more of a parody on field guides.

 

[sardog1]

Does anyone remember a book that came out about 20-25years ago call "Flattened Fauna." ? It was a field guide to road kill. Actually it was more of a parody on field guides.

Must . . . resist . . . the . . . urge to cite that "other" book's title. (If you've seen it, you know the one I'm talking about.)

 

[Paradox]

The double yellow lines in the photo is classic. Something Gary Larson could have dreamed up.