{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "stoat",
  "name": "Stoat",
  "scientificName": "Mustela erminea",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The stoat (Mustela erminea) is a small, slender carnivore of the weasel family found across the Northern Hemisphere in woodland, farmland, and tundra. Weighing just 200 to 400 g and about 30 cm long, it is a fierce, agile hunter of rabbits, rodents, birds, and eggs. In the far north its brown coat turns pure white in winter, when it is known as ermine. Stoats live 4 to 7 years and are listed as Least Concern.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Carnivora",
    "family": "Mustelidae",
    "genus": "Mustela"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.3,
    "lengthM": 0.3,
    "topSpeedKmh": 25,
    "lifespanYears": 7
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Mustela erminea"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore — rabbits, rodents, birds, and eggs"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Woodlands, farmland, and tundra across the Northern Hemisphere"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "4–7 years in the wild"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "200–400 g (0.2–0.4 kg); males larger"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to 25 km/h (16 mph); agile climber"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Circumpolar Northern Hemisphere — Europe, Asia, North America; introduced to New Zealand where invasive.",
    "continents": [
      "Asia",
      "Europe",
      "North America"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Mustela erminea.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Mustela%20erminea&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Mustela erminea. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mustela_erminea/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/stoat/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/stoat/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}