Editing Stoat (section)

{{short description|Species of mammal}}
{{About|the animal|the sewing stitch|Stoating|other uses|Ermine (disambiguation)}}
{{speciesbox
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Mustela erminea'' |author=Reid, F. |author2=Helgen, K. |author3=Kranz, A. |date=2016 |page=e.T29674A45203335 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T29674A45203335.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| image = Røyskatt (Mustela erminea erminea), Lista, Norway.jpg
| image_caption = ''M. e. erminea'', Steinodden, [[Lista]], Norway
| genus = Mustela
| species = erminea
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]]
| range_map = Stoat area.png
| range_map_caption = Stoat range (includes ''[[American ermine|M. richardsonii]]'' and ''[[Haida ermine|M. haidarum]]'')
{{leftlegend|green|native|outline=gray}}
{{leftlegend|red|introduced|outline=gray}}
}}

The '''stoat''' ('''''Mustela erminea'''''), also known as the '''Eurasian ermine''' or '''ermine''', is a species of [[mustelid]] native to [[Eurasia]] and the northern regions of [[North America]]. Because of its wide [[circumpolar distribution]], it is listed as [[Least Concern]] on the [[IUCN Red List]].<ref name=iucn/>
The name ermine ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɜːr|m|ɪ|n}}) is used especially in its pure white winter coat of the stoat or its fur.<ref name=SOED>{{cite book |title=Shorter Oxford English dictionary |year=2007|publisher=Oxford University Press |location=UK |isbn=978-0199206872 |page=3804}}</ref> Ermine fur was used in the 15th century by [[Catholic monarch]]s, who sometimes used it as the [[mozzetta]] cape. It has long been used on the ceremonial robes of members of the United Kingdom [[House of Lords]]. It was also used in capes on images such as the [[Infant Jesus of Prague]].

The stoat was [[Stoat in New Zealand|introduced into New Zealand]] in the late 19th century to control rabbits. However, they have had a devastating effect on native bird populations; as such, the species was nominated as one of the world's top 100 "worst invaders".<ref>{{cite web |title=100 of the World's Worst Invasive Species |url=http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=98&fr=1&sts=&lang=EN |publisher=Invasive Species Specialist Group |access-date=2011-03-17 |archive-date=2011-01-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110103100841/http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=98&fr=1&sts=&lang=EN |url-status=live}}</ref>