Every weasel is a marten, did you know that? But the ermine is both a weasel and a marten. Confusing? Don't worry, we'll explain the differences between weasels and martens.
Weasels have a completely white belly, while martens only have a white spot on their necks
The marten family
The term marten not only refers to the shy pine marten and the annoying beech marten, but also to the entire family of these canine predators.
To the marten family (Mustelidae)
include, among others:
- The real martens (Martes) such as pine and stone martens,
- badgers,
- mink,
- polecats,
- wolverines,
- otter
- and also the weasels.
But the term weasel (Mustela) is also a generic term for a species within the marten family, which includes various animals. Weasels include:
- Stoat (short-tailed weasel)
- weasel
- yellow-bellied weasel
- Altai weasel
The differences between weasels and martens
When you think of weasels, you probably have in mind an ermine, also known as a large or short-tailed weasel, or a mouse weasel, also known as a dwarf or small weasel. When you think of martens, you probably think of the stone marten, which likes to be around people and is known for nibbling on car cables and roof insulation. These three species really do look quite similar, but if you look closely, you can tell the marten and the weasel apart by the following characteristics:
| stone marten | ermine | weasel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 250 grams |
| coat color | Brown, white spot on the neck, not on the belly! | Brown with white belly and neck, black tail tip! | Brown with white belly and neck |
| feet | Brown | White! | Brown |
| coat change | No color change | can get white winter fur | can get white winter fur |
The most important distinguishing features
We can see from the table that martens are significantly larger than stoats and weasels. Their coat color is also slightly different: in contrast to big and small weasels, martens do not have a white belly and do not change their coat color even in winter. Characteristic of the ermine is the black tip of the tail, which neither martens nor other weasels share.
tips
Ferrets and martens are also often confused. Here you can find out the differences between martens and ferrets.