The Ermine, scientifically known as Mustela erminea, inhabits forests, agricultural lands, and mountainous regions. In the wild, they are distributed across North America, Northern Europe, and Central and Northern Asia. Ermines have also been introduced for breeding in New Zealand.
This stunning weasel species typically prefers to live alone, creating nests in rocky crevices, old buildings, or underground burrows. They primarily hunt at night, though they can occasionally be spotted during the day. Their main diet consists of mice, birds, and lizards, and they can even catch small fish; they are also known to steal eggs from bird nests.
The Ermine is an exceptionally skilled hunter, capable of killing its prey with a swift and precise bite to the back of the neck. These adept weasels can take down and consume various prey larger than themselves. Additionally, they are excellent swimmers, making it extremely difficult for unfortunate prey to escape once they are pursued by an Ermine. When threatened, Ermines release a foul-smelling substance from glands located at their tails to deter enemies.
Ermines have short tails, with males being larger than females. Their fur is brown on the back and yellow or creamy white underneath. 
In winter, in colder regions, their fur changes to white, with only the tip of the tail remaining black. This coloration serves as camouflage in the snow. For fur traders, the white pelts of Ermines become highly valuable as winter approaches.
Females can reproduce as early as three or four months of age. The mating season occurs from July to September. After a gestation period of about 255 days, females give birth between April and May, typically to litters of 4-5 young. Male Ermines are notably “hands-on,” assisting females in caring for and nurturing the young. Newborns are nearly helpless at birth, with their eyes remaining closed until they are three weeks old. By seven weeks, male young have already outgrown their mothers.
In the West, there was a time when only high-ranking nobles were permitted to wear white garments made from Ermine fur, which later became a symbol indicating important court officials.
Adult male Ermines average about 24 cm in length, with tails measuring around 10 cm, and they weigh about 200 grams. However, the population of this species is steadily declining.
