FROM THE BBC WILDLIFE ARCHIVE: December 1979

Stoatally different

“The stoat moults twice a year, and in the northern parts of its range the fur grows white again after its autumn moult and turns brown again after the spring one,” explains Michael Tweedie in the December 1979 issue of Wildlife, referring to the cover image of a stoat. “The white fur is good camouflage in the snow, and the individual white hairs are filled with air, thus providing a much warmer coat than the dark coloured spring and summer fur.” He concludes, “I think it is time that it was recognised as a useful and attractive little animal.”

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