Winter Stoats
Weasels of the Frozen Tundra
Lithe bodies slip over the snow-covered hills, leaving little more than a single track as they slide along on their bellies. Their quick movements and bright fur hide them from predators that may be watching, a quick glimpse before the small creatures are gone again, only a trail in their wake. These are the elusive weasels of the tundra, their size keeping them safe amongst the megafauna and other creatures that so often call these cold places home.
Winter stoats are members of the weasel family, and their snow-white coats give them their distinctive names. These small creatures utilize their size, speed, and coloring to hide amongst some of the most dangerous animals and habitats in the world. They slip through a world of megafauna that could easily crush them with an accidental step. Roaming the tundra, they survive from whatever scraps they may find, serving as tiny scavengers and elusive ermine.
Few have ever encountered a Winter Stoat, as they prefer to hide from all manner of people and creatures, preserving their short lifespans however necessary. Some travelers have stumbled upon the stoats by accident, finding them as younglings with their darker fur or as they scavenge what bigger creatures have left. These little weasels are not a danger to most, but their size makes them a target, so they choose to hide, moving like ghosts through the snow with their white fur.
These creatures are commonly found close to populations of Nordland Bears as they are scavengers and often benefit from larger predators and their kills. A large population of the stoats lives near the Mammoth Glacier where Sabre-Tooth Tigers hunt Mammoths and leave carcasses that can easily be cleaned by the camouflaged weasels.
Basic Information
Young Winter Stoat
Young Winter Stoats are colored similarly to other weasels that roam most of the forested areas of the Northern Continent and the areas on the fringes of the Edge Tundra and Either Tundra. As these creatures reach maturity, their fur will change to a snow white color, allowing them to hide in the frigid tundras.
Anatomy
Winter stoats are small creatures, often ranging from six to thirteen inches in length and roughly half an inch to two inches at the ear. Depending on gender and the temperature, these creatures can weigh anywhere from six to ten ounces. They are some of the smallest creatures that call the Neither Tundra home. Because of the climate of the tundra, these creatures have very dense and silky fur that is short and lays close to their bodies. Unlike other weasels or stoats, these creatures never change their fur with the seasons as the snows never truly melt in the far north. Even so, this fur is helpful when in danger as its density helps hold the musky scent that these creatures secrete to make predators leave them be.Growth Rate & Stages
Winter stoats do not always have their signature white fur. Younglings have a deep brown color that allows them to blend into the shadows and earth that conceal their dens. They will keep this coloring from when their fur fully grows in until they reach maturity around a year of age. Once the stoats begin traveling outside of their dens, their fur will change to white to camouflage them in the snow. This change can take a few months as the darker, thinner fur slowly falls out and is replaced by the denser, lighter-colored fur.Geographic Origin
Winter stoats have a limited habitat, sticking to the northern reaches of the Northern Continent in the Neither Tundra. Because of their size and fur color, they prefer areas of the tundra where the snows are deep and tend to stay away from the areas close to where the deep snow gives way to the Cradle of Clay and Elven Forest.
Winter Stoat
Winter Stoats are rare to see in the areas in which they inhabit as their snow white fur allows them to easily hide amongst the snow and ice of the world's tundras.
Scientific Name
Mustela nordei
Lifespan
4 to 6 years
Average Height
Half an inch to 2 in at the ear
Average Weight
6 to 10 oz
Average Length
6 to 13 in
Geographic Distribution
Cute. :D