Opps found a soft spot in the snow. Found North of the 40th Parallel in North America this is the Short Tailed Weasel or Ermine...Mustela ermine... in the Winter.  Has a prominent  long black tipped tail.
I spotted this Ermine near Ice Box Canyon. It was snowing pretty hard and the light was very subdued....of course. But what a determined Ermine.
Fresh snow makes his journey hard. Plunging over the top and occassionally below the surface of the fresh snow. Here Ermine emerges from the depths to scurry along his way once again.
Ermine or Short-Tailed  Weasel,  Mustela ermine..  has caught  a Pocket Gopher for lunch. This sequence happened so fast it was fortunate I had the camera set to white balance at  overcast, multiple image and a fast enough ISO to at least capture this fast moving white on white critter. Ermine was not  leaving his prize behind.
Ermine 6517
11002-21310 Stoat (Mustela erminea) with young great-spotted kiwi chick outside burrow
Beautifully aged 1900s antique wild animal chromolithograph print from FIVE HUNDRED FASCINATING ANIMAL STORIES by Alfred Miles.  The natural patina, age-toning, imperfections, and old paper antiquing of this vintage 19th century illustration are preserved in this image. Keywords: bear, polar bear, ermine, animal, wild animal, color, nature, vintage, 1900s 20th century, antique, aged, retro, old, patina, age toned, historical, history, nostalgia, classic, reproduction, illustration, image, print, photo, photography, picture, graphic, drawing, paper, art, decor, design, rare, plate, decorative, background
Beautifully aged 1800s antique animal woodcut print from HISTORY OF THE EARTH & ANIMATED NATURE by Oliver Goldsmith.  The natural patina, age-toning, imperfections, and old paper antiquing of this vintage 19th century illustration are preserved in this image. Keywords: weazel, genet, ermine, ferret, pine marten, marten, animal, animals, nature, woodcut, vintage, 1800s, 19th century, antique, aged, retro, old, patina, age toned, historical, history, nostalgia, classic, reproduction, illustration, image, print, photo, photography, picture, graphic, drawing, paper, art, decor, design, rare, plate, decorative, background, black white
Least Weasel
11002-21214 Stoat (Mustela erminea) with rifleman prey. Introduced into New Zealand in 1884 by runholders whose economic self-interest outweighed a desire to protect our native birds
Fresh snow makes his journey hard. Plunging over the top and occassionally below the surface of the fresh snow. Here Ermine emerges from the depths to scurry along his way once again.
Fresh snow makes his journey hard. Plunging over the top and occassionally below the surface of the fresh snow. Here Ermine emerges from the depths to scurry along his way once again.
Fresh snow makes his journey hard. Plunging over the top and occassionally below the surface of the fresh snow. Here Ermine emerges from the depths to scurry along his way once again.
See photo in original gallery.