An ermine is a type of weasel that lives in the woodlands and marshes of temperate-cold climates, like the northern U.S., Canada, and northern Eurasia. Its coat is dark brown in the summer, but turns white in winter. The color change provides camouflage protection from larger animals, hawks, owls and snakes that prey on it.
Ermine mate in late spring through early summer and have just one litter per year, usually in April or May of the following year. Fetal development starts when the female becomes pregnant, then becomes dormant for 8-9 months during fall and winter, and resumes again in March when temperatures begin to rise. This long gestation period (approximately 280 days) is unusual for small mammals, but is an adaptation to living in a cold climate.
Litter sizes may range from 3 to 18, but typically consist of 4 to 9 kits. Although the tiny kits are born blind and naked, they grow quickly. They begin eating meat at about four weeks of age, and are fully developed by 3 to 4 months.
Most mammals, including the ermine, give live birth. The exception to this rule is a small Order of animals, called "monotremes," that lay eggs. Examples of monotremes include the Australian platypus and the echidnas (which looks like a cross between a small porcupine and a bird).
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