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Black stoat?

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  • 14-07-2010 10:39am
    #1
    E39MSport
    Registered Users Posts: 3,730 ✭✭✭


    Just saw what appeard to be a stoat except it was all black apart from white under its chin and down its neck.

    Do we have such stoats?

    Beautiful little creature. (again, no camera with me, just making a call in the garden)


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    #2
    froog
    Registered Users Posts: 3,784 ✭✭✭froog


    thought this thread was about guinness!


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    #3
    Cardynal
    Registered Users Posts: 143 ✭✭Cardynal


    E39MSport wrote: »
    Just saw what appeard to be a stoat except it was all black apart from white under its chin and down its neck.

    Do we have such stoats?

    Beautiful little creature. (again, no camera with me, just making a call in the garden)

    What size was it ? , possibly a juvenile Mink , they sould be weaned by now , would tally with your colour description aswell.
    Regards Tom.


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    #4
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    A dark Orange is a near as I can get. Now the speculation begins!

    Hardly a Mink, was it? Bigger than a Stoat though.

    And the next suggestion is...


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    #5
    Feargal as Luimneach
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,139 ✭✭✭Feargal as Luimneach


    A Dark Morph perhaps, I only guessing. You can get black foxes and black rabbits. So perhaps it's a black stoat.


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    #6
    mathepac
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,991 ✭✭✭mathepac


    Any chance it was a pine-marten? They have a creamy coloured "flash" which can stretch from under the throat to the chest. This "flash" is totally unique in size and shape from one animal to the next. They're making a come-back, thankfully, gorgeous little creatures.

    http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/images/pine_marten1_230.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/tfl.pinemarten.html&h=261&w=230&sz=16&tbnid=fTRJv6J1hFYTqM:&tbnh=112&tbnw=99&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpine-marten&usg=__ZKQTSSZApw_Mb8fCFTqiMZRU9Lk=&sa=X&ei=m5E9TKOTL4_QjAeY3b34Aw&ved=0CCQQ9QEwBQ


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    #7
    E39MSport
    Registered Users Posts: 3,730 ✭✭✭E39MSport


    I didn't want to mention Pine Martin after my recent false sightings :o
    My partner found an identical (according to her description) animal about 2 months ago that had been killed on the road. When I went to check it out less than 20 mins later it was gone ! This was early morning. May have been spotted by a buzzard or fox.

    It was a deep black colour with stark contrasting white under its chin stretching to its chest. It looked a fair bit bigger than a stoat however.
    I've seen a few stoats and I am always surprised at how petite they are given their quarry.

    This little guy looked a bit skittish which meads me to believe that he/she may be young.

    I'll keep an eye out. I'm really annoyed that I didn't have my camera. Don't think I would have got anything anyway as it jumped into the ditch after a few seconds.

    @matheapac - the images in the link are very similar to what I saw. I hope to catch a glimpse again.


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    #8
    E39MSport
    Registered Users Posts: 3,730 ✭✭✭E39MSport


    It's Official (by my reckoning anyway).

    He just walked up to within 20 feet of me. It's a Pine Marten. Beautiful creamy chin and throat against black fur with a kind of bushy tail.

    Walked all the way along the side of the front garden along our ditch to the back where I am sitting. When it saw me it took a second look directly at me then jumped into the ditch and I could hear it walk behind me.

    I'm so happy. What a treat. Twice in two days. I hope it becomes a regular occurence. Makes up for our swallows dumping us this year.


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    #9
    Feargal as Luimneach
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,139 ✭✭✭Feargal as Luimneach


    E39MSport wrote: »
    It's Official (by my reckoning anyway).

    He just walked up to within 20 feet of me. It's a Pine Marten. Beautiful creamy chin and throat against black fur with a kind of bushy tail.

    Walked all the way along the side of the front garden along our ditch to the back where I am sitting. When it saw me it took a second look directly at me then jumped into the ditch and I could hear it walk behind me.

    I'm so happy. What a treat. Twice in two days. I hope it becomes a regular occurence. Makes up for our swallows dumping us this year.
    A pine marten in your garden you lucky fecker;)


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    #10
    BargainHunter
    Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭BargainHunter


    E39MSport wrote: »
    It's Official (by my reckoning anyway).

    He just walked up to within 20 feet of me. It's a Pine Marten. Beautiful creamy chin and throat against black fur with a kind of bushy tail.

    Walked all the way along the side of the front garden along our ditch to the back where I am sitting. When it saw me it took a second look directly at me then jumped into the ditch and I could hear it walk behind me.

    I'm so happy. What a treat. Twice in two days. I hope it becomes a regular occurence. Makes up for our swallows dumping us this year.
    Put some peanut butter out for it. Pine martens love peanut butter, apparantly.


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    #11
    mathepac
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,991 ✭✭✭mathepac


    BargainHunter wrote: »
    Put some peanut butter out for it. ...
    Please don't do that. These animals are only making a come-back now and creating a high-cholesterol fast-food stop for them might not be a great idea.

    Like all omnivores they are pretty smart about balancing their dietary needs, but they may become lazy if a ready supply of easy pickings is made available to them regularly.

    They had a reputation as hunters of red-squirrels. I hope they'll target the non-native vermin greys instead and help restore some balance.


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    #12
    E39MSport
    Registered Users Posts: 3,730 ✭✭✭E39MSport


    Interestingly, it didn't cause a stir amongst the birds in the vicinity. I was expecting alarm calls but witnessed the birds in close proximity going about their usual business.


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    #13
    recedite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,993 ✭✭✭✭recedite


    mathepac wrote: »
    They had a reputation as hunters of red-squirrels. I hope they'll target the non-native vermin greys instead and help restore some balance.
    They are already eating the greys, which is possibly why the martens are increasing. The proportion of reds to greys also increases where there are pine martens.


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    #14
    Smartypantsdig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 116 ✭✭Smartypantsdig


    I have had the pleasure of watching these creatures in Wicklow. They are lovely animals and very playful but fierce predators too!! I can attest to them taking greys!!


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    #15
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    BargainHunter wrote: »
    Put some peanut butter out for it. Pine martens love peanut butter, apparantly.

    Please don't. It's not good for them. You have a Pine Marten because there are the correct conditions for one, including food. And Peanut Butter is not part of it.

    People who put out the likes of Peanut Butter for animals do so because they want to watch the animal in question and not for the betterment of the animal.


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    #16
    E39MSport
    Registered Users Posts: 3,730 ✭✭✭E39MSport


    Julio Wooden Porterhouse wrote: »
    Please don't. It's not good for them. You have a Pine Marten because there are the correct conditions for one, including food. And Peanut Butter is not part of it.

    People who put out the likes of Peanut Butter for animals do so because they want to watch the animal in question and not for the betterment of the animal.

    I won't ;)


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    #17
    BargainHunter
    Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭BargainHunter


    Julio Wooden Porterhouse wrote: »
    Please don't. It's not good for them. You have a Pine Marten because there are the correct conditions for one, including food. And Peanut Butter is not part of it.

    People who put out the likes of Peanut Butter for animals do so because they want to watch the animal in question and not for the betterment of the animal.
    Whats the difference between feeding a pine marten and feeding the wild birds with a bird feeder? I havent seen you criticise the 90% of forum posters who have bird feeders.


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    #18
    recedite
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,993 ✭✭✭✭recedite


    Pine Marten dentists are about as rare as hens teeth. :D:o


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    #19
    mathepac
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,991 ✭✭✭mathepac


    BargainHunter wrote: »
    Whats the difference between feeding a pine marten and feeding the wild birds with a bird feeder?...
    Little wild birds won't eat (enough) grey squirrels.


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    #20
    LostCovey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭LostCovey


    BargainHunter wrote: »
    Whats the difference between feeding a pine marten and feeding the wild birds with a bird feeder? I havent seen you criticise the 90% of forum posters who have bird feeders.

    I would fully back up Srameen here - feeding peanut butter to Pine Martens is not a good idea. Instead of comparing it to bird feeders (where people feed relatively natural food at a time of scarcity), you should think of it as being more like people who feed white bread to swans, or crisps to animals in the zoo.

    Besides, I don't see any great harm in blue tits associating gardens with food. For those of us who are fond of our pets and our fowl, there is a great risk in well-intended people feeding Pine Martens on their patios.

    LostCovey


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    #21
    E39MSport
    Registered Users Posts: 3,730 ✭✭✭E39MSport


    recedite wrote: »
    Pine Marten dentists are about as rare as hens teeth. :D:o

    lol.. good stuff


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    #22
    BargainHunter
    Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭BargainHunter


    LostCovey wrote: »
    I would fully back up Srameen here - feeding peanut butter to Pine Martens is not a good idea. Instead of comparing it to bird feeders (where people feed relatively natural food at a time of scarcity), you should think of it as being more like people who feed white bread to swans, or crisps to animals in the zoo.
    Zoo animals are not part of our ecosystem. And neither are the peanuts people put in their birdfeeders. Your comparison is nonsensical.
    LostCovey wrote: »
    For those of us who are fond of our pets and our fowl, there is a great risk in well-intended people feeding Pine Martens on their patios.
    A "great risk" of what? Did you forget to say or are you just bullsh!tting.

    There is no logic behind you feeding peanuts to wild birds, but condemning people who feed peanut butter to wild mammals.


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    #23
    fontanalis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,619 ✭✭✭fontanalis


    Sorry a bit off topic, is there any noticeable increase in the number of red squirrels?


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    #24
    LostCovey
    Registered Users Posts: 1,717 ✭✭✭LostCovey


    BargainHunter wrote: »
    Zoo animals are not part of our ecosystem.
    Neither is peanut butter.
    BargainHunter wrote: »
    A "great risk" of what? Did you forget to say or are you just bullsh!tting.

    A typo, apologies. I meant a greater risk. Of predation by habituated wild animals. Like urban foxes. Or hand-fed Pine Martens
    BargainHunter wrote: »
    There is no logic behind you feeding peanuts to wild birds, but condemning people who feed peanut butter to wild mammals.

    I am condemning no-one, just suggesting it's not a great idea. It's not.

    Not a big deal, just an opinion, a suggestion if you will.

    I didn't mean to upset you.

    LostCovey


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    #25
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    BargainHunter wrote: »
    Whats the difference between feeding a pine marten and feeding the wild birds with a bird feeder? I havent seen you criticise the 90% of forum posters who have bird feeders.

    :rolleyes: Peanuts: Made from 100% Peanuts.

    Peanut Butter: Read the label. Sugers and fats etc etc. :rolleyes:


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    #26
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    BargainHunter wrote: »
    And neither are the peanuts people put in their birdfeeders. Your comparison is nonsensical.

    A Did you forget to say or are you just bullsh!tting.

    There is no logic behind you feeding peanuts to wild birds, but condemning people who feed peanut butter to wild mammals.

    Settle down and moderate the language please. Who rattled your cage? :)

    Attracting Pine Martens to a garden with food that is bad for them is only to fulfill our own desire to look at the animal and not helping it in the slightest.

    Do you also think feeding salted roasted peanuts would be in order for any wild animal? Peanut Butter is not just mashed peanuts. Maybe you'd be better off thinking about what you're saying than attacking people who simply made sensible educated suggestions.


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