Stoat

The stoat, also called the ermine or short-tailed weasel, is a small carnivorous mammal native to North America, Europe and Asia, recognized by its long slender body, short legs and a black-tipped tail that remains black even when its fur turns white in winter in colder parts of its range. It is an agile and persistent hunter of small mammals, particularly rabbits and rodents, often pursuing prey directly into burrows, and it can take prey substantially larger than itself. Stoats were deliberately introduced to New Zealand in the nineteenth century to control rabbit populations, where they have since become a major threat to native birds with no natural defenses against such a predator. In its native range the species remains widespread and is classified as being of least concern.