critter q

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Christian Nunes
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Re: critter q

Post by Christian Nunes »

The best way to ID Long-tailed Weasel vs. American Stoat (aka ermine, aka Short-tailed Weasel) in the summer is the color of the underparts. Long-tailed Weasel has a tan wash on the underside, while Short-tailed will be pure white. In winter, both are pure white with a black-tipped tail. One must rely on size and tail length at that point.

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Alpineair
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Re: critter q

Post by Alpineair »

Christian Nunes wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 11:29 am The best way to ID Long-tailed Weasel vs. American Stoat (aka ermine, aka Short-tailed Weasel) in the summer is the color of the underparts. Long-tailed Weasel has a tan wash on the underside, while Short-tailed will be pure white. In winter, both are pure white with a black-tipped tail. One must rely on size and tail length at that point.

Christian
Thank you for the explanation! I was hoping this one was a ermine, (Stoat), but now it seems to be more of a weasel.
_DSC5356.jpg
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seano
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Re: critter q

Post by seano »

Cute little guys. I've seen martens a couple of times in the Tetons, and once in the San Juans. That one ran up a tree safely out of reach, then just hung out looking at me:
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Boggy B
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Re: critter q

Post by Boggy B »

Alpineair wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:19 am
Christian Nunes wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 11:29 am The best way to ID Long-tailed Weasel vs. American Stoat (aka ermine, aka Short-tailed Weasel) in the summer is the color of the underparts. Long-tailed Weasel has a tan wash on the underside, while Short-tailed will be pure white. In winter, both are pure white with a black-tipped tail. One must rely on size and tail length at that point.

Christian
Thank you for the explanation! I was hoping this one was a ermine, (Stoat), but now it seems to be more of a weasel._DSC5356.jpg
I do believe that's a stoat. Along with what Christian said, these identifiers seem to be common:

Stoat: Straight line between brown/white (or cream) fur
Weasel: Jagged line between brown/tan fur

Stoat: Longer tail with bushy black tip
Weasel: Shorter tail, not black-tipped
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Christian Nunes
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Re: critter q

Post by Christian Nunes »

Alpineair, Yours certainly is a Long-tailed Weasel (Neogale frenata). The rich tawny underparts, long tail, and relative size compared to its prey (Golden-mantled Ground-Squirrel) are some good clues.

Boggy B, some of your metrics are turned around. American Stoats (Mustela erminea) are wee little things with proportionally shorter tails. Both species have black-tipped tails.

Here are some photo galleries of each:

Long-tailed Weasel: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/126443 ... wse_photos
American Stoat (aka Short-tailed Weasel): https://www.inaturalist.org/observation ... id=1264427

Note that the "Bridled" form of Long-tailed can be seen in the San Juans. The striking face pattern could be more easily confused with something like a Black-footed Ferret, but those won't be up in the mountains!
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Re: critter q

Post by BillMiddlebrook »

Boggy B wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 8:57 am
Alpineair wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 7:19 am
Christian Nunes wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 11:29 am The best way to ID Long-tailed Weasel vs. American Stoat (aka ermine, aka Short-tailed Weasel) in the summer is the color of the underparts. Long-tailed Weasel has a tan wash on the underside, while Short-tailed will be pure white. In winter, both are pure white with a black-tipped tail. One must rely on size and tail length at that point.

Christian
Thank you for the explanation! I was hoping this one was a ermine, (Stoat), but now it seems to be more of a weasel._DSC5356.jpg
I do believe that's a stoat. Along with what Christian said, these identifiers seem to be common:

Stoat: Straight line between brown/white (or cream) fur
Weasel: Jagged line between brown/tan fur

Stoat: Longer tail with bushy black tip
Weasel: Shorter tail, not black-tipped
Oh, right, the stoat! I’ve always put them together with weasels.
Mustelids, I think
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Re: critter q

Post by mikemalick »

Sorry for poor cell phone quality, but saw 3 of these two weeks ago on Mt Bierstadt. Stoats? Does have a black-tipped tail, but doesn't look bushy.
Stoat?
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Re: critter q

Post by Boggy B »

Christian Nunes wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 10:49 am Alpineair, Yours certainly is a Long-tailed Weasel (Neogale frenata). The rich tawny underparts, long tail, and relative size compared to its prey (Golden-mantled Ground-Squirrel) are some good clues.

Boggy B, some of your metrics are turned around. American Stoats (Mustela erminea) are wee little things with proportionally shorter tails. Both species have black-tipped tails.
Thanks. Of the photos you linked, the weasels that look most similar to these have a patch of white under the chin. Though the photo is pretty warm, I think Alpineair's has that as well.

The ones I've seen in at higher elevations were smaller and looked more like stoats (and more like the preceding photo).
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Christian Nunes
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Re: critter q

Post by Christian Nunes »

@mikemalick That's a nice little American Stoat (Mustela erminea). Short-tailed and with white underparts.
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Re: critter q

Post by BillMiddlebrook »

Getting back to the OP’s marten sighting on James…

Anyone else have pics and stories of martens above tree line? This is quite intriguing to me after what I’ve seen on the Needle and a couple of other high mountains.
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Re: critter q

Post by HikerGuy »

BillMiddlebrook wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 5:25 pm Getting back to the OP’s marten sighting on James…

Anyone else have pics and stories of martens above tree line? This is quite intriguing to me after what I’ve seen on the Needle and a couple of other high mountains.
I heard, then watched a pine marten kill a marmot. It was insane! The sounds were crazy. First I heard it, then I saw two animals joined together rolling down a steep scree gully. A first I thought it was a marmot fight, but it continued until there was silence and one animal ran off. The pine marten then came back after a minute or two and took the dead marmot away. This happened last June on a hike of Sayres BM, 13,460 & 13,300 F, just below and southwest of the 13,300 summit. One of the coolest/gruesomest things I've witnessed in the mountains.

I have some video, post-kill, but the wind was loud and the images blurry. I'll see if I can edit something halfway decent.

EDIT: Imgur link to video of pine marten retrieving a marmot it killed minutes earlier

Coordinates at top of the murder gully: 39.034408, -106.502700
Last edited by HikerGuy on Wed Aug 04, 2021 6:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: critter q

Post by BillMiddlebrook »

That is incredible video.
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