15 Photos That Will Make You Fall in Love with the Adorable Ermine

The short-tailed weasel, or stoat, is an adorable little character that always looks like he's always up to no good. The animal goes by the name ermine when it's in its pure white winter coat. In the spring and summer, its fur is a reddish brown. The photo above shows the ermine in Italy's Gran Paradiso National Park. It was shot by photographer Stefano Unterthiner. In the winter, surrounded by snow, you may not notice the presence of this little creature, unless you spotted his beady black eyes and his tiny pink nose.

If you're curious about this cute animal, you can read all about ermines on the ESF website. "They are active at all seasons, and in winter move on the surface of crusted snow and tunnel through soft snow, stopping occasionally to thrust the head above the surface, apparently to determine the route of travel."

Above photo: Stefano Unterthiner