| Haida ermine | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| In winter coat | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Mustela |
| Species: | M. haidarum |
| Binomial name | |
| Mustela haidarum Preble, 1898 | |
| Subspecies | |
M. h. haidarumPreble, 1898 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
TheHaida ermine (Mustela haidarum) is amustelid speciesendemic to a few islands off thePacific Northwest ofNorth America, namelyHaida Gwaii inCanada and the southernAlexander Archipelago in theU.S. state ofAlaska.[5]
In theHaida language, this species is known asdaayáats’ in its brown summer coat andtlag in its winter coat.[6]
The three subspecies of the Haida ermine were originally considered subspecies of the common stoat (M. erminea). However, in 2013, they were recognized as distinct from any other ermine, and a 2021 study further found them to comprise a distinct species.M. haidarum is thought have originated about 375,000 years ago (during thePleistocene), and is thought to be the result of ancienthybrid speciation between theBeringian ermine (M. erminea) andAmerican ermine (M. richardsonii). The islands are thought to have beenglacial refugia during theLast Glacial Maximum, with both species of ermine being isolated on the islands andhybridizing with one another, while the ice sheets separated them from the rest of the world—thus leading to the formation of a new species.[7][8][9][10] It is recognized as a distinct species by theAmerican Society of Mammalogists.[5]
The species is found on a few islands off the coast ofBritish Columbia andsoutheast Alaska. In Canada, it is found on theHaida Gwaii archipelago inGraham andMoresby islands, while inAlaska it is found onPrince of Wales Island and possiblySuemez Island.[7] It is found in atemperate rainforest habitat.
Aside from genetic differences,M. haidarum can be distinguished fromM. erminea andM. richardsonii by its elongated skull.[10]
Three subspecies are thought to exist.[7]
| Subspecies | Trinomial authority | Description | Range | Synonyms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haida ermine (previously the Queen Charlotte Islands stoat or Haida stoat)[11] M. h. haidarum | Preble, 1898 | Smallest size of 20 ermine subspecies in North America. The colour of its summer coat is mostly chocolate brown. During the winter, the Ermine is all white with a black tipped tail, despite lesser snow coverage throughout lower elevations on Haida Gwaii.[12] | Haida Gwaii | Mustela erminea haidarum |
| Prince of Wales Island ermine M. h. celenda | Hall, 1944 | Prince of Wales Island | Mustela erminea celenda | |
| Suemez Island ermine M. h. seclusa | Hall, 1944 | Suemez Island | Mustela erminea seculsa |
The habitat for the Haida ermine has been intensively reduced over the past few centuries due to old-growth timber harvest in theTongass National Forest, an important protected area for the species, as well as industrial-scale mining on the islands, which disproportionately affects insular endemics such asM. haidarum. Expanding human populations and increasing tourism may increase the risk of pathogenspillover toM. haidarum, including pathogens common to pets such ascanine distemper andparvoviruses, which have negatively impacted other wild mustelids. Due to the rudimentary understanding of the true level of endemism in these northern archipelagos, these threats must be better quantified to protect species from them. ThePacific martens (M. caurina) inhabitingHaida Gwaii also represent a distinct lineage from other populations, indicating that the habitat of the islands may have allowed other distinct species or subspecies to evolve.[7][10][13]
The Haida ermine traverse their environment with quick momentum from their small legs. They root around in search of holes and crevices often scouting their surroundings on their hind legs. They hunt in short periods often in ten to fourteen minute increments up to four hours, interchanging between break periods every three to five hours of the day. They typically hunt prey that are several times their own weight by precise lunges at the neck. Except for rabbits which have too much fur around their neck for the bite to penetrate but instead are gripped at the nape and scratched with their hind legs. Haida ermine are known to lick the blood created by them off their prey first. They kill when given the chance and store what isn't required at the time in their nests.
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