stoat or weasel

thebourke wrote: »

yes it was near a waterway near the university of limerick..i couldnt see any white..it was probably the size of a small cat...

There are no Weasels in Ireland and our Stoat is quite small, about the size of a 'slim' rat. I'd imagine it was more likely a Mink, female would be about 50cm long, male up to 65cms and they frequent water.....

Could it have been a pine marten? Probably more likely than a mink I would imagine

Black and smallish suggests Mink. Stoat is brown with a clearer patch, usually seen running quickly across small lanes. And otter would be a good bit bigger.

Stoats would also almost always be on the move, as if there are getting late somewhere. Stoats would be smaller than mink too.

fryup wrote: »

are we 101% sure of that? not even introduced? or escaped from a nature farm?

Never say never, as Mr Bond might say, but we don't have Weasels.
The confusion arose when British naturalists first saw the Irish Stoat and thought it was an intermediate form between the Weasel and the Stoat. Our Stoat, Mustela erminea hibernica, is an indigenous sub species and is smaller than the British variety. The thinking is that it can occupy a niche which covers both 'bases'. In Britain the Stoat got bigger and the Weasel got smaller to allow both to co-exist.....

fryup wrote: »

but if they were here, they'd thrive yes?

Well they'd have more competition for food than in Britain 'cause the Irish Stoat, being smaller, already occupies part of that 'void'. But who knows, the climate mightn't agree with them either.....