Ferret, Weasel, and Stoat?

Question

how big is each one of them?

Answer 1

Weasels are mammals in the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family.  In technical discourse, however, as in American usage, the term "weasel" can refer to any member of the genus, or to the genus as a whole. Of the 16 extant species currently classified in the genus Mustela, ten have "weasel" in their common name. Among those that do not are the stoat or ermine, the two species of mink, and the polecats or ferrets.

Weasels vary in length from fifteen to thirty-five centimeters (six to fourteen inches), and usually have a light brown upper coat, white belly and black fur at the tip of the tail; in many species, populations living at high latitudes moult to a white coat with black fur at the tip of the tail in winter. They have long slender bodies, which enable them to follow their prey into burrows. Their tails are typically almost as long as the rest of their bodies. As is typical of small carnivores, weasels have a reputation for cleverness and guile. They also have tails that can be anywhere from 22-33 cm long and they use these to defend the food they get and to claim territory from other weasels. The average weasel weighs about 198grams (7 ounces).

The stoat (Mustela erminea) is a small mammal of the family Mustelidae. It is also known as the short-tailed weasel and the ermine.  The stoat is a member of the family Mustelidae, which also includes other weasels, mink, otters, ferret, badgers, polecats, the wolverine, martens, the tayra, the fisher and in some taxonomical classifications skunks. This is one of the most species-rich families in order Carnivora.  Stoats may grow up to 30 cm long, with males much larger than the females. In most areas it coexists with the weasel (Mustela nivalis, also known as the Least Weasel), the smallest member of order Carnivora. Where the weasel is absent the stoat is smaller (~70 g).

The stoat's coat is a rich medium brown with an off-white belly. In winter, the coat is thicker and in regions that experience an inch or more of snow for at least forty days of the year (such as in Armenia[1]), the color changes to clean white. This white fur is known as "ermine", a term originating either from the Latin phrase "Armenius mūs" ("Armenian rat")[2] or from a word common to the Germanic and Baltic languages,[3] hence the scientific name. At this stage the stoat itself may be referred to as ermine, or as being "in ermine". The winter stoat has been used in art as a symbol of purity or virginity. The white fur was highly prized, and used in the robes of the Lord Chief Justice of England. Both the animal and the heraldic tincture are symbols of Brittany. The furs would be sewn together making a pattern of black dots. A version of this pattern is used in heraldry as ermine tincture.

In all seasons the stoat has a black tip to its tail. The black tip probably serves as a decoy to predators, which would include almost any carnivore large enough to eat a stoat (e.g. wolves, foxes, wolverines, and some birds of prey).

The ferret is a domestic mammal of the type Mustela putorius furo. Domestic ferrets typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur, have an average length of approximately 20 inches (51 cm) including a 5 inch (13 cm) tail, weigh about 2-4 pounds (1 kg),[1] and have a natural lifespan of 7 to 10 years.  Several other small, elongated carnivorous mammals belonging to the family Mustelidae (weasels) also have the word "ferret" in their common names, including an endangered species, the Black-footed Ferret. The ferret is a very close relative of the polecat, but it is as yet unclear whether it is a domesticated form of the European Polecat, the Steppe Polecat, or some hybrid of the two.

The history of the ferret's domestication is uncertain, like that of most other domestic animals. It is very likely that ferrets have been domesticated for at least 2,500 years, but it is not certain for what purpose the ferret was originally domesticated.

Answer 2

Ferret:

Males(hobs) are considerably larger than females at 18 inches(45cm) and 2 lbs(900g) to 5 lbs(2.25kg). Females(jills) can grow to about 15 inches(38cm) and weigh in at 3/4 lbs(350g) to 2 1/2 lbs(1.15kg).

Weasel:

The larger of the two is the short-tailed species. It can reach 15 inches (38 cm) in length and 7 ounces (198 g) in weight. The least weasel well deserves its title of the smallest living carnivore. It reaches a maximum length of 10 inches (25 cm) and a weight of 3 ounces (85 g).

Stoats are another name for weasel.

Staot:Mustela erminea

Head/body length: Males 275-312 mm; females 242-292 mm.

Weight: Males 200-445g; females 140-280g.