Crappy scan...oh well...it's for the contest held by http://species-directory.deviantart.com/ about creating your own predator. And here is mine: Arctic digging ferret

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Name: Arctic digging ferret (Mustela putorius arctica)

Size: 25 – 30 cm long (male) females are slightly shorter. They weight about 0,3 – 1,2 kg (male) while females is slightly lighter.

Appearance: Winter coat: Mostly white with brownish grey stripes. One reach from the shoulders along the whole back and then down to the tail. Two stripes on each side of the body in the same colour. The tail is always brownish grey and during the summer season the whole creature becomes brownish grey with only white fur on its throat. The claws and beak are brown. Males also have light brown fur on the head and upper side of the snout.
Their bodies are rather short compared to other species of the ferret family and their legs aren’t as sleek as with other species. Instead they are sturdy, able to dig even in frozen soil. The front paws only have two normal claws while the inner and outer claw are extended and bend backward but can be moved forward to lock onto a prey. The beak is there for bite off tough roots. Their hind claws are more hoof like to get better grip while digging. The ears are never covered with fur and can be folded back into the thick fur so they won’t get frozen.

Habitat: The Siberian tundra

Habits: They are very shy and tend to stay far away from humans. They dislike the heat and never venture far away from the icy tundra unless the need for food is lacking. They use their two longer claws to kill prey while the two smaller on the front paws are only there for digging and the strong hind claws work as counter weight so the animal won’t slip. Their claws are very sharp so not even frozen soil makes a hinder for them. They live in families of one male, five females and their young. The females give their young milk during the Siberian summer time. Time varies where the family lives.

Diet: Mostly rodents, Norway lemming seems to be the preferred diet, but also fish they capture on shallow water. Some families also add nutritious roots and berries to their diet. If this applies to all families or just those that live further south none really knows.

Other info: The Arctic digging ferret, given their names for their love to dig, have only been found as single animals. Very little is known about these predators as they are so shy and live in very harsh environments, also the few animals that have been found wasn’t alive. The full function of the beak and larger claws are unknown. Also why they evolved to get more hoof like claws on their hind paws are not fully known to scientists.

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This was fun to write ^^

Arctic digging ferret are all my own idea. Maybe not a 'flashy' animal but even the small animals count.