Unlike the inhabitants of Mustelly Island, in real life stoats prefer to live by themselves once they leave the nest. Each year in spring, around 5 - 12 babies, called kits, are born in a litter. Stoats are small animals, measuring 30 – 40 cm, and have a lifespan of 2 – 5 years 

They are fierce and brave creatures that often take down rabbits which are many times their size. They also eat small mammals, insects and as they are very agile and can swim and climb, their diet also includes fish, birds and birds’ eggs. Stoats must keep an eye out for foxes, birds of prey and cats, which in turn, will eat them. 

In the UK, stoats live in grassland, farmland, woodlands and heaths. They often use the burrows of the creatures they have killed for their nest and can have many homes in their territory. Log piles, dry stone walls, old tree stumps and rocks are other sites they use for nests.

Stoats are part of the Mustelid family, which have long bodies and short legs. Also included in the UK are weasels, ferrets, badgers, polecats, martens and otters. Mustelids are found all over the world where the habitat is suitable, except in Antarctica.

Each winter, in cold places where it usually snows, stoats grow an ‘ermine’ coat which is totally white except for the tip of the tail, which stays black. In areas which are not quite as cold, the fur can turn patchy. Warmer climes see stoats keep their brown and white coats all year round.