Every weasel is a marten, did you know that? But the stoat is both a weasel and a marten. Confusing? Don't worry, we'll tell you about the differences between weasels and martens.
What are the differences between weasels and martens?
Martens and weasels are both Mustelidae, but weasels are smaller and have a whiter belly area. Martens are larger, have a white throat patch, do not change their fur color in winter and do not have a black tail tip like the stoat.
The marten family
The term marten not only refers to the shy pine marten and the annoying stone marten but it also refers to the entire family of these dog-like predators.
The marten family (Mustelidae)includes, among others:
- The real martens (Martes) such as pine martens and stone martens,
- Badgers,
- Minks,
- Polecat,
- Wolverines,
- Otter
- and also the weasels.
Now the term weasel (Mustela) is also a generic term for a species within the marten family that includes various animals. The weasels include:
- Ermine (short-tailed weasel)
- Mouseweasel
- Yellow-bellied Weasel
- Altai weasel
The differences between weasels and martens
When you think of weasels, you probably picture a stoat, also called a large weasel or short-tailed weasel, or a mouse weasel, also called a dwarf or small weasel. When you think of martens, you probably think of the stone marten, which likes to be close to people and is known for nibbling on car cables and roof insulation. These three species really look quite similar, but if you look closely you can distinguish martens and weasels by the following characteristics:
| Beech marten | Ermine | Mouseweasel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression hull length | 40 to 54cm | 17 to 33cm | 11 to 26cm |
| Tail length | 22 to 30cm | 4 to 12cm | 2 to 8cm |
| Weight | 1, 1 to 2, 3 kg | 40 to 360 grams | 25 to 250grams |
| fur color | Brown, white spot on neck, not on stomach! | Brown with white belly and neck, black tail tip! | Brown with white belly and neck |
| Feet | Brown | white! | brown |
| Changing fur | No color change | can get white winter fur | can get white winter fur |
The most important differentiators
We can see from the table that martens are significantly larger than stoats and weasels. Their fur color is also slightly different: In contrast to large and small weasels, martens do not have a white belly and do not change their fur color even in winter. The characteristic feature of the stoat is the black tip of its tail, which neither martens nor other weasels share.
Tip
Ferrets and martens are also often confused. Here you can find out the differences between martens and ferrets.
