The stoat is one of several animals that can grow a white coat in winter. Not all do, however, and you are more likely to encounter a white one the further north you go. Some southern stoats do not change colour at all, and it is said that a higher proportion of females tend to make the change.
The change of coat has been the undoing of many a stoat as the white pelts, known as ermine, have long been prized as a symbol of rank and ermine robes are still worn by British peers on state occasions.
The black dots on the robes are the black tips of the tail, which does not turn white, and the number of bars of ermine used to make them denotes the rank of the wearer.
This story is from the December 2019 edition of Sporting Gun.
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This story is from the December 2019 edition of Sporting Gun.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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