Ermine - Alaska

Gave himself away being white on a dark background! I'd imagine they're enormously difficult to see on snow?

You saw an ermine! Amazing!

That's seven more ermine than I've seen! Down in the lower 48, my experience has been that mink are by far the easiest small mustelid to see. I've spent plenty of time in ermine territory in the northern US and have not seen one ever.

@Gondwana The weasel family in general is a tough one to track apart from the otters... They may be found across the US and Canada, but that doesn't mean we see much of them! Any weasel sighting is cause for much excitement among nature-lovers I've found.

@Great Argus of the seven sightings four have been of animals in their white-phase. Of those three were of animals that where white on a dark background. I find their tracks a lot more often than I actually see the animal. I’ve found that, especially since participating in the ZooChat Big Years, that sighting small mammals has become a lot more exciting to me.

@Pleistohorse Where did you see a polar bear? Did you go out to Churchill in Canada?

@DavidBrown Alaska’s North Slope. On the shore not far from Utqiagvik. Kaktovik is another good place for them this time of year, but a bit pricier.

@Pleistohorse That's very cool.

I was with a tour group wandering along a trail near Seward when we all got attacked by an ermine. And by "attack", I am not exaggerating. The little guy came charging out from under a shrub and chased people away. It was both hilarious and slightly intimidating. Don't mess with ermines.

Wow! An ermine! To see one in the wild is well-WILD!