The short-tailed weasel, also known as ermine when it’s in its white winter coat. Is a member of the Mustelidae family. This weasel family includes some pretty tough members. Such as wolverines, honey badgers, and otters to name a few. Although the short-tailed weasel may be on the lower end of the weight scale in the Mustelidae family. But pound per pound, or should I say ounce per ounce, it’s a pretty tough character. Coming in at 11 ounces or .03 kg and up to 41 cm in length. The short-tailed weasel preys on mammals and birds. It’s great at hunting voles, but it can also kill larger prey such as rabbits. During the summer, the weasel is dark brown and white, but it molts to all white during winter, except for the black tail tip.
Even though it's longer and heavier than a vole, because it's about the same diameter as the vole it preys on, the weasel can easily chase the voles in the snow tunnels formed by its prey. Short-tailed weasels are relentless predators. On one occasion, one was spotted giving a ground squirrel a chase. It ended up chasing the squirrel into the burrow of its prey, and after a few screams from the squirrel, all was quiet for several seconds. We waited as we looked toward the entrance to the squirrel's burrow. Out came the weasel with the heavier squirrel in its mouth.
