Josh is 12 years old and he has two sisters and a brother. He also has a lizard and a dog. His favorite things to do are hunt, fish, play sports, and snow board. Josh lives with his mom in Crystal Falls because his dad and step-mother live in Chicago. His favorite food is chicken. He would like to go to Hawaii when he grows up. His has been to Florida two times. He likes the movie Men in Black. His favorite subject is math.

Physical Description: The ermines total length is 235-335 mm (9.3-13.0 in), and the weight is 50-155 g (1.8-5.5 oz). It has five toes. In the summer the ermine has brown fur except for on the end of the tail which is black, and under the legs and body which is white. In winter time the ermine is completely white except for the tip of the tail that stays black. So this way it blends completely in with the snow except for the tip of the tail.

Diet: Mice, shrews, and voles make up 75% of the ermines diet and most of the remainder comes from Lagomorpha, squirrels, birds, and other vertebrates.

Habitat: In the Great Lakes region, ermines occupy a variety of habitats including open forests, riparian woodlands, and shrubby fence rows.

Behavior: Most ermines live only 1-2 years in the woods and 6-7 years may be the maximum. when hunting, an ermine zigzags through debris and into underground tunnels. Each prey is approached slowly at first then grabbed after a quick rush. It raps its self around the victim and dispatches it with a quick bite to the back of the neck.

Range: Home -range size varies considerably with prey density but over all it covers 63 acres for males and 29 acres for females.

Potential Predators: The ermines main predators are the fisher, hawk, eagle, owl, and other fair sized carnivores.

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