Archival Anecdotes: The short-tailed weasel

This creature, the short-tailed weasel also goes by the name of ermine and has a Latin moniker of Mustela erminea.

Weighing in at less than a quarter-pound live, the ermine is known for its voracious nature. The ermine inhabits brushy or wooded areas, often making dens in ground burrows, under stumps, rock piles or old buildings.

Ermines are active throughout the year, making the most of every opportunity to prey upon small mammals. The ermine hunts at night, but can be seen during the day. In fact, now is the most likely time to see an ermine in the wild. Much like the specimen pictured here, the wild ermine are sporting white winter coats.

Come spring, the ermine's coat will darken to a sleek brown with white remaining on the under-parts, feet and inside of the hind legs.

The tip of the tail is black regardless of the season, making these animals nearly invisible against the freshly fallen snow. The key word is fresh. When the snow gets dingy, the ermine really stands out. Once prized for their pelts, the ermine remains to be a valued fur-bearer species.

This particular specimen was prepared by John Aarstad and was donated - along with a variety of other taxidermed fauna - by the McHenry Museum. The collection now resides in the Brantford Depot at the Eddy County Museum.