Encyclopedia about domestic animals. Domestic Stoat: Pros and Cons

There is a belief that if an ermine gets its snow-white skin dirty, it will die of grief. The winter "coat" of this little mischievous predator should be dazzling white, and only the tip of the tail is necessarily black.

There is a beautiful legend that tells how the ermine acquired its white fur and, in addition to it, a black mark. Once upon a time, a stoat wore an unpretentious brown-red coat. But then came the harsh cold winter.

The animal ran through the forest to keep warm, and accidentally stumbled upon the hut of an old hunter. An enticing warm smoke rose from the chimney, and the stoat jumped onto the roof, settled on the very top of the chimney, warmed himself and fell asleep.

His awakening was terrible. Unable to stay on the edge of the pipe, the ermine fell into the oven and ended up in a cauldron of boiling water. Fortunately, the hunter was at home, he managed to save the animal from inevitable death, only the skin of the ermine came out all over and he was left completely naked. Seeing such a thing, the hunter did not drive the unfortunate animal out into the bitter cold and left him to spend the winter in a hut.

Soon, from idleness and a well-fed life, the entire body of the animal was covered from head to toe with snow-white and surprisingly soft fur. By that time, the ermine had recovered and, in the absence of the owner, shamelessly rummaged through his pantries. He especially liked to eat butter, which gave shine to his new fur coat.

The old man noticed the loss of oil and decided to watch for the thief, catch him at the scene of the crime and roughly punish him. Once he pretended to go hunting, and he himself, picking up a poker near the stove, hid nearby.

What was the hunter's disappointment when he saw that the ermine he had saved was the thief of the oil! The old man began chasing the nimble beast, swinging the poker, but only once was able to hook it on the very tip of the tail. And the ermine, without waiting for reprisal, disappeared into the taiga. Since then, he still wears the indelible shameful black stain of a thief on his white fur coat.

Zoologists have been racking their brains for a long time, trying to figure out the purpose of this strange spot. The most amazing thing is that the ermine, like other animals, regularly sheds, changing the summer brown-red fur to white, winter, but the mysterious spot does not disappear either in winter or in summer. Of the entire mustelid family, only the ermine is decorated with a similar mark.

Finally, scientists found out: a black spot on the tail of an ermine serves as a bait for ... enemies. A bird of prey from above does not see the ermine jumping in the snow and first of all pays attention to the tip of its tail. By attacking the animal's tail, the enemy is left with nothing as a result, and the stoat receives a well-understood signal that it is urgent to hide in order to avoid the next attack.

The beauty of the fur of this animal was appreciated hundreds of years ago. True, it was not available to ordinary people. And the point here is not only the high price, but the fact that ermine fur is very quickly wiped off from everyday wear.

But as a decoration for the robes of the reigning persons, he fit perfectly and served as a kind of symbol of power. Ermine ponytails adorn royal outfits to this day. For example, in 1937, on the day of the coronation of George V, fifty thousand ermine skins were delivered from Canada to Great Britain.

Ermine also has its meaning among interpreters of dreams. If you saw in a dream. that ermine fur adorns your shoulders, then everything will be in order. You will be able to overcome failures, need and suffering will bypass your home, and you will occupy a confident position in society. If in your dream someone else wears ermine fur, then soon some interesting acquaintances await you. However, if the fur is dirty, big trouble awaits you.

You can talk for a long time about the beautiful ermine fur, but, probably, you should also tell about the owner of the wonderful “fur coat”, otherwise he may be offended.

Ermine is found in almost all corners of Europe, with the exception of Albania. Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. He lives in Afghanistan and Mongolia, in Northeast China and in northern Japan. This animal inhabits almost all of North America and exists perfectly in the harsh Greenland. On the territory of Russia, it can be found in Western Siberia. Karelia and even on the islands of the Arctic Ocean.

The habitat of the stoat is extremely diverse. True, it is very rare, it can be found even in large city parks, where it runs in search of field mice. However, the ermine's favorite places of permanent residence are river floodplains, glades overgrown with small and dense shrubs, abandoned clearings littered with tree trunks and windbreak. The thicker and impassable the thicket, the more free the ermine feels in it.

It is in such gloomy and impassable places that he finds his food. Here he catches small rodents: voles, hamsters and water rats; does not disdain frogs and lizards. Ermine climbs trees perfectly, and if it finds a bird's nest, it will gladly eat eggs or chicks, depending on the season.

He bravely attacks and defeats such large birds as hazel grouses and partridges. This predator hunts not only on the surface of the earth, but also underground, penetrating into the holes of rodents. He gladly settles in other people's underground galleries, having previously used the former owners for lunch.

The stoat swims remarkably and in the hungry season easily switches to eating fish, which he himself catches. And if the hunt is really bad, then it eats juniper berries. With an abundance of food, the ermine arranges peculiar pantries, burying dead mice and water rats in different places. But very soon he forgets about his reserves and rarely returns to them.

Despite its commitment to life in the wilderness, the stoat itself is not shy and extremely curious. Seeing an approaching person, he will definitely stick his muzzle out of the shelter and will look with interest: who, interestingly, came to visit him? True, when you try to get closer or pick up a gun (if any), the ermine will instantly disappear in the thick of the forest.
The ermine has enough enemies besides hunters.

Apart from the birds of prey already mentioned, this small animal is hunted by foxes and sables. But innate cunning most often allows him to avoid death. A much more formidable enemy of the ermine is hunger.

Ermines are listed in the Red Book, and keeping them at home is prohibited, and almost impossible. Even in the conditions of a zoo, problems arise with ermines - after a while they stop producing offspring, wither and die. If the ermine managed to avoid predators, hunters, not die of hunger and not fall into captivity, then he is able to live up to seven years.

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mammal animal marten family. Ermine is found in areas of the Northern Hemisphere - in the Arctic, subarctic and temperate zones. In Russia, the stoat lives in the north of the European part and in Siberia. The main habitat of the ermine is concentrated in the forest-steppe, taiga and tundra regions of Russia. In total, scientists have twenty-six subspecies of ermine.

Ermine- a small animal. The animal has a long, oblong body with small paws. The animal has a high neck, a head that looks like a triangle, and small ears. The body size of the male is 17 - 38 cm, and the females are almost two times smaller. One third of the body length is the tail - approximately 6 - 12 cm. The weight of the animal is from 70 to 260 grams.

The color of the fur changes during the year, allowing the animal to remain invisible: in winter the color is pure white, in summer the back is brownish-red, and the abdomen is yellowish-white. White winter color is found in animals living in those areas where the snowy winter lasts at least 40 days a year.

The places of accumulation of the animal are due to the presence of food - various small rodents. Usually ermine is located in areas near which there is water (rivers, streams, lakes). In forest thickets, the animal is rarely found, preferring clearings and edges. In dense forests, one can meet ermine in brook spruce and alder forests. The ermine tries to avoid open areas. It can be located next to human habitation (on the field, in the garden, forest park).

Stoats live mostly alone. The animal marks the limit of its territory with the secret of the anal glands. The area of ​​​​the site occupied by one ermine can be from 10 to 20 hectares. Males usually occupy twice as much territory as females. Males and females come together only for mating. In the absence of sufficient food, stoats leave their sites, moving over long distances.

Ermine mostly nocturnal, only sometimes it can be found during the day. The ermine arranges its nests in various places: in a haystack, in a pile of stones, in destroyed buildings or in logs located near human habitation. During a flood, a stoat can nestle in a hollow tree. The animal also occupies burrows of rodents eaten by it. The female uses the wool and skin of her victims (sometimes dry grass) as bedding. The stoat itself does not make holes. In winter, the animal does not have specific places for shelter. Ermine hides under the roots of trees, in piles of stones, under logs. The ermine rarely uses the same place.

Ermine can swim and climb trees well. It feeds on mouse-like rodents: water voles, hamsters, chipmunks, lemmings. Ermine does not prey on smaller rodents, because due to its size it cannot penetrate their holes. The predator feeds on birds and their eggs, less often on fish and shrews. With a lack of food, it eats amphibians, lizards and insects. The ermine hunts for birds and animals that are larger than it: capercaillie, hazel grouse, white partridges, hares and rabbits. With enough food, the stoat stocks up, killing more rodents than it needs to feed. Attacking its prey, the ermine bites through the back of the skull. When hunting rodents, the ermine uses the organs of smell; when catching insects - hearing organs, tracks down fish with the help of well-developed vision.

From mid-February to early July, males have a period of sexual activity. Pregnancy females proceeds within 9 - 10 months. Thus, the younger generation is born only in April-May of the next year. The female usually has 4 - 9 cubs, which she brings up without a male. Newborns weigh 3 - 4 grams, and their length is 30 - 50 mm. At birth, the cubs do not see, they have no teeth and the ear canal is not developed. Their entire body is covered with sparse white fur. In June-July, they begin to hunt on their own.

Already at 2 - 3 months, females become sexually mature, and males only by 11 - 14 months. In nature, the ermine lives 1 - 2 years, in some cases the animal reaches the age of seven. The number of ermine is directly related to the number of rodents: in the absence of food, the fertility of the predator drops sharply.

At present, the number ermine is declining due to human hunting for it, as a result of a decrease in the number of animals that the ermine eats, and a decrease in places suitable for the habitation of a rodent. The ermine has valuable fur, so it has become an object of hunting. They hunt ermine with small traps and loops. Firearms are practically not used so as not to damage the skin.

Decorative ferret (ferret) is a small mammal of the weasel family, a predator. The mustelid family also includes the forest and steppe ferret, weasel, ermine, pine marten, European and American mink, sable and many other predators. Unlike other representatives of the weasel family, which are only tamed, the ferret is a domestic animal. For the first time, ferrets began to live next to humans about 2000 years ago. Today, the ferret is still a pet and in many countries is recognized as the third popular pet after a dog and a cat! That's over 7 million ferrets in the US alone in 1990.

So, all representatives of the marten family are predators. Ferrets are a cheerful, playful, curious and very funny pet. They will bring joy and fun to your home. The playful nature of the domestic ferret captivates very quickly. Decorative ferrets sleep a lot (up to 20 hours a day), but they adapt to the owner’s daily routine without any problems. They like to burrow into rags, lie in a hammock or climb pipes. Ferrets do not know how to jump high, but they are able to make long jumps up to 1 m.

Frets should not be walked unattended. Their curiosity is so great that, having gone on about this feeling, they are unlikely to be able to find their way home. Only some individuals who have hunting instincts left will be able to survive in the conditions of the city or nature. Do not think that ferrets are so easy to keep at home. They require much more attention than a cat or dog. Fretok can be compared to a small child. Ferrets are interested in everything that happens in the house, climb into all the narrow cracks, steal small items. Therefore, before you decide on the institution of this animal, you need to carefully prepare and study their temper. This animal is very different from rabbits, and from guinea pigs, and from rodents. All problems often arise due to incorrectly provided information by breeders and sellers. If you are well prepared for the appearance of the ferret in your home, the ferret will bring joy to your home and will not create any special problems.

There is an opinion that the polecat, like all mustelids, is a bloodthirsty ferocious predator, and keeping such an inherently evil animal is potentially dangerous. In fact, the polecat is one of the most peaceful representatives of the family, it is the easiest to tame, it feels the most friendliness to its relatives and to humans. Having burst into the chicken coop, a ferret or weasel crushes all the chickens, despite the fact that neither eat nor carry away so much. In fact, the bloodthirstiness of mustelids depends on hunger. At home, with an abundance of food, the wild representative of the weasel family quickly loses its “bloodthirstiness” and kills exactly as many mice as it needs to live. As for the polecat, it is one of the most peaceful representatives of the family, it is the easiest to tame, it feels the most friendliness to its relatives and to humans. Perhaps the reason for this is the way of life of ferrets in nature, where they sometimes live in large concentrations in the territory inhabited by marmots or gerbils, side by side with their fellows, without guarding the borders and not at enmity with each other.

There are rumors that the hori killed people. Even wild polecats rarely attack humans. And then, these are isolated cases. There are very few cases of domestic ferrets causing serious harm to humans, and the percentage of such cases among ferret owners is much lower than among dog owners.

Many people who have never seen a ferret are convinced that the ferret stinks, and even look for confirmation of this by sniffing it when they meet. In fact, the "stink" of a ferret does not mean the smell from the skin, but the secret of the anal glands, which the ferret spits out, like a skunk, in the heat of battle or out of fear. The everyday scent of a ferret isn't as bad as you might think. Different people have different attitudes towards this smell, despite the propaganda of disgust for natural bodily odors. Many owners compare the smell of their pet with nutmeg, honey, cookies. Modern shampoos and deodorants allow you to completely get rid of the smell of the skin. The expediency of removing the prianal glands is decided in each case. As a rule, domestic ferrets use their chemical weapons infrequently, and the smell is rather unstable, easily washed off and aired.

The predatory game animal, the ermine, has become a kind of symbol of royal power: not a single solemn exit of European kings is complete without a mantle lined with soft snow-white fur with hanging black tails.

Description of ermine

It is very similar to the weasel (a close relative of the weasel family), but surpasses it in size, growing up to 32 cm and weighing 200-250 g. The female stoat is almost half the size.

Biologists distinguish 26 subspecies, differing in size, as well as the color of summer fur and the quality of winter fur.

Appearance

The hypertrophied elongated body of the ermine smoothly passes into a long strong neck and ends with a neat head with widely spaced ears and a pointed muzzle.

The tail is larger than that of the weasel (about 1/3 of the length of the body), but is just as thin and also ends with a short tassel dyed black, regardless of the season.

The paws are short with a poorly developed swimming membrane between the fingers. From below, the feet are so densely pubescent that the inevitable calluses are completely hidden under the winter fur.

The animals acquire a sparkling white color by winter. By cold weather, the structure of the coat also changes, which becomes tight-fitting, thick and pleasantly silky. Winter color is observed in regions where snow cover persists for at least 40 days a year.

In summer, stoats turn into stoats with a yellowish-white belly and brown-red back.

Lifestyle, behavior

Ermine is a stubborn loner, occupying an individual living space of 10-20 hectares, marking the boundaries with an anal secret. The plots of males and females intersect, however, partners meet only during the rut.

This is interesting! The closed way of life is explained by the versatility of the predator - he is bold, decisive, agile, strong beyond his size, extremely nimble and agile, bloodthirsty and aggressive.

Ermine runs fast, climbs trees, swims and dives well, navigates well under snow, rocky and woody blockages. The only thing he can't do is fly.

The predator is awake at night, less often during the day. The burrow does not dig, occupying the dwellings of the rodents killed by it or a hollow (in the latter it hides from the flood). In frosts, it uses random shelters (under stones, logs, in tree rhizomes, haystacks and ruins).

Migrate long distances in famine years. In summer hunting it covers up to 15 km per day, in winter - about three. It usually jumps in the snow, pushing off with its hind legs and flying up to half a meter.

Lifespan

This indicator varies significantly: starting from a mark of 1-2 years and approaching 7 years with a combination of many favorable factors.

With an abundance of food supply, the number and fertility of predators increases, but with a sharp reduction in rodents, on the contrary, it decreases.

Range, habitats

These nimble animals filled almost the entire Eurasian continent, having reached the deserts of Central Asia, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Iran, Northeast China and the northern regions of Japan in its Asian part.

They also live in North America, in particular, on the islands of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, in Canada, in the north of the USA (with the exception of the Great Plains) and in Greenland.

This is interesting! The stoat was very unsuccessfully introduced to New Zealand with the expectation that it would regulate the rabbit population. The predator quickly multiplied and instead of being useful, it began to cause harm, ruining the clutches of local birds (kiwi) and destroying the chicks.

On the territory of the former CIS, it is not found only in the hot deserts of Central Asia and on the harsh Arctic islands.

The choice of habitat is determined by the number of small rodents, the main food of stoats. Often settles near water - in thickets of reeds and shrubs, along the banks of streams, lakes and rivers, in coastal meadows.

It almost does not enter the depths of the forest, preferring the edges or overgrown clearings / burnt areas, disliking, nevertheless, open spaces. In the forest more often it clings to the alder and spruce forests near the brooks, easily settles in the steppe gullies / ravines and copses.

Neighborhood with a person is not afraid, settling on the outskirts of the city, in forest parks, fields and gardens.

Ermine diet

The main dish of the menu is mouse-like rodents (larger than those of a weasel that preys on voles). It is difficult for an ermine to penetrate the hole of a small rodent because of its solid (compared to weasel) complexion. By the way, this is why burrow hunting is good for smaller ermine females.

Males more often pursue larger rodents, such as hamsters, water voles, haystacks, chipmunks, and overtaking them under snow and in holes.

Less important objects of ermine hunting are:

• birds (including white partridges, capercaillie, hazel grouse) and their eggs;
• shrews;
• fish and amphibians;
• lizards and snakes;
• insects;
• rabbits/hares.

It kills the victim like a weasel, biting the back of the head. It tracks rodents by smell, fish by sight, and insects by sound.

In famine years, it does not disdain garbage and steals fish and meat prepared for the winter from people. An overabundance of rodents clouds the predator's mind: he begins to kill them in reserve, in volumes that he is not able to digest.

natural enemies

Ivan Sergeevich Sokolov-Mikitov spoke about several unusual enemies of the ermine in his brief essay.

The writer calls ermines impudent, talking about how famously they swam across the wide Taimyr Lake before his eyes. True, their courage often ended in failure - swimmers were swallowed by large loaches, outwardly resembling salmon. According to the writer, this was discovered during the opening of the loaches, in the stomachs of which there were often swallowed ermines.

Sokolov-Mikitov also notes that ermines almost always deftly dodged sled dogs.. Other natural detractors of stoats:

• foxes (red and gray);
• sable;
• American badger;
• martens, including pecans;
• predator birds;
• domestic cats.

From those who are afraid of heights, the ermine escapes on the trees, sitting out until the pursuer gets away.

Reproduction and offspring

The ermine is a typical polygamist, starting mating games once a year and maintaining love activity for 4 months (February to June). Sexual maturation of males occurs by 11-14 months, in females - already at 2-3 months.

This is interesting! Young females (aged 60-70 days) are quite suitable for childbearing: they are actively covered by adult partners, after which a full pregnancy occurs. According to biologists, such early fertility contributes to the survival of the species.

Gestation is characterized by a long (8-9 months) latent phase, during which the embryos do not develop until March. The expectant mother lines the brood burrow with the hair/skins of dead rodents, sometimes diluting the interior with dry grass.

Babies (from 3 to 18 pieces) are born, as a rule, in April-May of the next year. In an average litter, there are 4-9 cubs, which only the mother in labor will have to deal with.

Newborn puppies with still closed auditory canals weigh little (3-4 g) and show a corresponding growth - from 3.2 to 5.1 cm. They are covered with a rare whitish fluff, blind and completely toothless. Eyes are opened no earlier than the 30th day (sometimes on the 41st), and by their 2-3 months they catch up with their parents in size, setting off to independently search for food at the end of June / in July.

The first thing to understand is that the ermine is far from being a ferret, and it will become tame only in one case - if it is taken from its mother in infancy and fed from a bottle with its own hands (by the owner). Only such an animal shows its affection, going out with the savior for walks and sitting on his hands or in his pocket.

Puppies obtained in other ways will never become tame! You can still hold a small ermine in your hands, but an adult will always find a way to wriggle out (well, if it doesn’t bite or scratch).

The pet will set its own rules, unlike the hamster, which can adapt to the human rhythm. Stoat is a sociopath and a lover of running around at night, so get ready not to sleep with him.

The predator is kept in a cage, releasing from confinement for 2-3 hours, always under vigilant supervision. It is so small and nimble that it can slip through any open door or slot. He will run away from you if you forget to close the windows, balcony or front door.

Cell selection, filling

When deciding on housing for a stoat, two basic requirements must be met: the cage must be spacious and at the same time wired with small (intended for mice) cells.

As practice shows, these two parameters are rarely combined in finished cages. There are many mouse cages for sale, but they are all too small in area for the stoat to move freely.

In addition, we must remember that the diameter of his head is smaller than that of a ferret, and a standard cage for a guinea pig, rabbit or ferret will not fit your pet categorically. There he will linger just out of curiosity for about five minutes until he explores it.

You can not use a metal rhombic mesh as a barrier, as the animal will break off its claws.

In the cell you need to install:

• drinking bowl with water;
• hemp and driftwood;
• cornices and shelves;
• tray (possibly cat) filled with sawdust.

Also in the cage there should be enough space for a drawer for rest.. Be sure to equip the cage with a secure lock: the stoat is smart enough to open a simple device. And if the recluse gets out, you most likely won't catch him. The ermine is not tied to the territory and will try to sneak out of the apartment.

Care and hygiene

The animal is scrupulously clean, therefore it relieves the need in the place allotted for this. Some owners claim that the tray can be taken outside the cage: the stoat will recover into it while walking around the room.

People with a keen sense of smell are unlikely to tolerate the repulsive smell emitted by a pet (no less strong than that of a ferret). In this case, castration is recommended.

The cage should be cleaned frequently, freeing it from food debris and other waste products. Do not wear gloves - the prisoner will bite you on the hand, and bite you noticeably.

Important! If your stoat is not domesticated enough to let it travel around the apartment, cleaning will have to be done super-fast, holding the door to prevent escape.

In addition, twice a year you are obliged to maintain the biological rhythms of a predator by starting the process of molting: otherwise, hormonal disorders will begin in his body. Therefore, by winter, the temperature in the room is lowered, parallel to shortening the daylight hours. By the summer, the regime is changing again.

Nutrition at home

Forget the amateurish advice about feeding your stoat with industrial ferret pellets: these animals have different energy requirements and mismatched sizes.

If you do not want to spoil the ermine's stomach, and as a result, metabolism, tune in to natural (sometimes live) products. Ideally, you should start an aquarium with fodder mice. In captivity, the predator eats 2-3 voles or 50-75 g of meat.

Optimal components of the diet:

• mice;
• day chicks;
• frogs;
• raw chicken and more.

On average, the amount of meat consumed daily is equal to (and even more than) half the weight of the ermine itself. Once a week you need to arrange a fasting day.

Buying ermine

The Internet is full of ads from those who want to have an ermine, but there are practically no counter offers. Weasels and ferrets - as much as you like, but stoats are almost never put up for sale.

Those who are eager to acquire ermine will have to turn to hunters or fur farms, where absolutely wild representatives of the species are kept.

Placed in a home cage and completely unsocialized predator experiences serious stress, accompanied by convulsive seizures, which, in turn, lead to his death.

Before doing this irresponsible purchase, ask yourself another important question - are there many veterinarians in our country (and especially on its periphery) who can treat stoats?

Important! By the way, don't believe the tales of breeders successfully raising domesticated stoats. There are simply no such people, since ermines do not breed in captivity.

All animals belonging to the weasel family are exotic, and the ermine is no exception. This is a very interesting and cute animal that tolerates captivity quite well. If the ermine was taken at an early age, then the process of taming it becomes easier.

Animal behavior and lifestyle

By nature, stoats are terrestrial creatures, however, sometimes they can climb trees that are slightly inclined. That is why the animal is able to overcome any uneven obstacle without much difficulty. Ermine, like many mustelids, likes to dig the ground, so it is advisable to remove pots with indoor plants from his field of vision.

By nature, this is a very curious and playful animal. Ermine at home prefers to sleep at night, and shows its activity during the day, which greatly facilitates its care. If the animal was brought up by a person from an early age, then it gets used to its owner and even allows you to take it in hand.

Ermine tends to be clean. As a toilet, an ordinary cat tray, which can be placed in the corner of the room, is quite suitable for him. Wood chips can serve as a filler, they very effectively destroy an unpleasant odor. To prevent the animal from turning its toilet over, it can be covered on top with some kind of mesh material that can be fixed with pushpins. The tray is installed either in the cage or in the room.

As for plant foods, in nature the ermine only feeds on it involuntarily, but you can try to give the animal some berries or nuts. You also need to pay attention to ensuring that, in addition to muscle meat, the animal eats bones and various entrails, such as the liver, lungs, heart, etc. Sometimes the ermine's diet can be diversified with quail eggs.

Content Features

As for the conditions of home maintenance, they are very similar for all mustelids, and the ermine is no exception. The animal will need a spacious cage, a drinking bowl with water and a toilet tray. This animal leads a very active lifestyle, so it will not be superfluous to install various snags, hemp, shelves and cornices in a cage. If the cage is cramped, then the ermine will be limited in movement and will not be able to show its natural habits. Particular attention should be paid to the cells of the cage - their size should be such that the animal cannot climb through them. As bedding, you can use sawdust, hay or special fillers.

Despite the fact that the tame ermine is kept in a cage, it still needs to be released into the room at least once a day for 2-3 hours. In principle, the animal can be kept simply in the apartment, but in this way it can be lost, because it can escape through an open window, door or balcony. Therefore, a walk around the apartment should be supervised. Ermine is a very active and fast animal that likes to make its way into narrow holes, so it can be observed in the most hidden corners of the house.

Feeding

The feeding of the stoat is similar to that of many other members of the weasel family. The animal is a predator, and in natural conditions it mainly feeds on mouse-like rodents, birds and fish. Therefore, fresh mice, rats, fish and chickens should be included in his diet.

Regardless of which ermine - domestic or wild - with the advent of spring, he has a rut. At this time, males are especially restless, as they are in search of a female. In addition, the male tends to leave his urinary marks everywhere.

Pros and cons of keeping ermine

Thanks to a cheerful and playful disposition, the ermine is never boring.

Due to the fact that the animal has a relatively small size, during trips it can even fit in a simple women's bag.

In the wild, the predator is active at night, but at home it easily adapts to the rhythm of life of a person.

The animal has a pretty good intelligence.

Its fur is not as allergenic as that of dogs or cats.

A person may have a personal intolerance to the smell of ermine skin.

The predator has such a means of protection as the perianal glands, and the secretions contained there have a rather specific smell. However, it fades quickly.

Ermines tend to dig everything, and it is impossible to wean them from this. Therefore, those who have indoor flowers will either have to remove them away, or come to terms with the earth scattered on the floor.

During the mating season, the ermine tends to mark its territory.

If after a meal the animal has excess food left, then it seeks to hide it in hard-to-reach places.

Under natural conditions, the stoat does not live very long, only about 2 years. A similar phenomenon is due to the fact that the animal has many natural enemies. However, when kept at home, the life expectancy of the animal increases several times and is about 7-8 years.