Question

can any one plssssssssssss tell me....what is ermine ? what role did it play in clothing discrimination???????????

Answer 1

Ermine is the common name for a small, northern weasel, Mustela erminea, characterized by a short, black-tipped tail, a long body with short legs, and fur that is dark brown in summer and turns white during snowy, winter conditions. This member of the mammal family Mustelidae is the most widely distributed weasel, being found throughout the northern temperate, subarctic, and Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. While known as ermine or short-tailed weasel in North America, Mustela erminea is commonly known as stoat in Europe.

The white fur also is known as "ermine," and even in regions where the animal is known as a "stoat," the animal with this winter coat may be referred to as ermine, or as being "in ermine."

The ermine is important both ecologically and commercially. Ecologically, it is important in food chains, being a significant predator especially of small rodents, while falling prey to the fox, wolf, and badger, among other animals. Commercially, the ermine has been important for the fur trade and in particularly its valuable white winter coat. This highly prized white fur has adorned royal robes in Europe and used in art as a symbol of purity or virginity.The ermine also is reflective of the unintended consequences of some ecological practices