Mustela altaica Pallas 1811

40.

Altai Mountain Weasel

Mustela altaica

French: Belette des montagnes / German: Altai-Wiesel / Spanish: Comadreja de montana

Taxonomy. Mustela altaica Pallas, 1811,

Altai Mountains, China.

Monotypic.

Distribution. Altai, Tien Shan, Pamir, and Himalayan ranges; also C, W, SW & NE China, Mongolia, and Russia (S & SE Siberia) to North Korea.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 22.4-28.7 cm (males), 21.7-24.9 cm fen tail 10.8-14.5 cm (males), 9-11.7 cm (females); weight 217-350 g (males), 122-220 g (females), adult males are slightly larger than females; the tail is more than 40% of the head and body length. The Altai Mountain Weasel has a long, slender body and short limbs. The summer pelage is grayish-brown; in winter, the dorsal pelage is yellowish-brown, with pale undersides. The tail is the same color as the upperparts. The feet are white. The skull has a short rostrum and a long cerebral cranium.

Habitat. Alpine meadows, steppes and forests, from 1500 to 4000 m.

Food and Feeding. The diet includes small mammals (rodents, pikas, and rabbits), small birds, lizards, frogs, fish, insects, and berries. Altai Mountain Weasels search for prey around rock crevices, brushy areas, and uprooted trees, often investigating prey burrows.

Activity pattern. Mainly nocturnal or crepuscular. Den/rest sites are in rock crevices, among tree roots, or in rodent burrows.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Mainly terrestrial, but also climbs and swim well.

Breeding. In Kazakh, mating occurs in February or March. Gestation is 35-50 days. Litter size is two to eight; lactation last two months.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened in The IUCN Red List. Very little 1s known about the Altai Mountain Weasel and field studies are needed to learn more about its natural history, ecology, and conservation status. It is oflittle importance in the fur trade, but is occasionally hunted and may be susceptible to habitat conversion.

Bibliography. Lunde & Musser (2003), Meiri et al. (2007), Pocock (1941a), Stroganov (1969), Van Bree & Boeadi (1978), Wozencraft (2005, 2008).