Back-striped weasel

Last updated

Back-striped weasel
MustelaStrigidorsaWolf.jpg
A 19th century illustration of a back-striped weasel
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Mustelidae
Genus: Mustela
Species:
M. strigidorsa
Binomial name
Mustela strigidorsa
Gray, 1853
Back-striped Weasel area.png
Back-striped weasel range

The back-striped weasel (Mustela strigidorsa), also called the stripe-backed weasel, is a weasel widely distributed in Southeastern Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List in view of its presumed large population, occurrence in many protected areas, apparent tolerance to some degree of habitat modification and hunting pressure. [1]

Contents

Characteristics

The back-striped weasel is distinguished from all other Mustela species by the presence of a narrow, silvery dorsal streak extending from the occiput almost to the root of the tail, with a corresponding yellowish ventral streak from the chest along the abdomen. The general colour of the dorsal surface varies from deep to paler chocolate brown, sometimes a little paler on the head and usually slightly darkened along the side of the dorsal streak. The tail and limbs are of the same hue as the back. The upper lip from the rhinarium, the chin and the throat up to the level of the ears are pale varying from whitish to ochreous. On the hind throat and fore chest, the pale hue gradually narrows in extent, and is quite narrow between the forelegs, where it passes into the ventral streak, which expands on the inguinal region between thighs. The pads of the feet are well developed, the plantar ads being four-lobed, with the area around them entirely naked. [2]

The bushy tail is rather long, being more than half the length of the head and body. The length of head and body of males is 30–36 cm (12–14 in), while the tail length is 18–20 cm (7.1–7.9 in). [3] A live-captured juvenile male was estimated to weigh only 700 g (1.5 lb). [4]

Distribution and habitat

The occurrence of the stripe-backed weasel has been confirmed from scattered localities in and around northeastern India, northern and central Myanmar, southern China, northern Thailand, northern and central Laos and Vietnam at an elevation range from sea level to 2,500 m (8,200 ft). It inhabits a wide variety of habitats, and it is not yet possible to define its habitat needs. Specimens collected came from dense hill jungle, hill evergreen forest, disturbed evergreen forest, lower montane evergreen forest and lowland evergreen forest. Most field sightings were in daylight. [3]

In India, it was recorded in Dampa Tiger Reserve in 1994, and in Namdapha National Park. [5] In Laos, two individuals were sighted in 2008, both near streams in evergreen forest in Nakai–Nam Theun National Biodiversity Conservation Area. [6]

Ecology and behavior

In the Naga Hills, one was seen fighting with a large bandicoot rat. [2]

Threats

The back-striped weasel is potentially threatened by snares placed in its habitat, which target small edible wildlife. [1]

Conservation

The back-striped weasel is protected in Thailand and nationally listed as Endangered in China. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesian mountain weasel</span> Species of carnivore

The Indonesian mountain weasel is a species of weasel that lives on the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia at elevations over 1,000 metres (3,300 ft). They live in mountainous, tropical, and rainforest areas. Indonesian mountain weasels have a body length of 280–300 mm (11–12 in) and a tail length of 130–150 mm (5–6 in). They are reddish-brown in color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spotted linsang</span> Species of carnivore

The spotted linsang is a linsang, a tree-dwelling carnivorous mammal, native to much of Southeast Asia. It is widely, though usually sparsely, recorded, and listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siberian weasel</span> Species of carnivore

The Siberian weasel or kolonok, is a medium-sized weasel native to Asia, where it is widely distributed and inhabits various forest habitats and open areas. It is therefore listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small Indian civet</span> Species of mammal

The small Indian civet is a civet native to South and Southeast Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because of its widespread distribution, widespread habitat use and healthy populations living in agricultural and secondary landscapes of many range states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain weasel</span> Species of mammal

The mountain weasel, also known as the pale weasel, Altai weasel or solongoi, primarily lives in high-altitude environments, as well as rocky tundra and grassy woodlands. This weasel rests in rock crevices, tree trunks, and abandoned burrows of other animals or the animals it previously hunted. The home range size of this animal is currently unknown. Geographical distribution for this species lies in parts of Asia from Kazakhstan, Tibet, and the Himalayas to Mongolia, northeastern China, and southern Siberia. The most common area for this species, however, is Ladakh, India. The conservation status, according to the IUCN, is near threatened because it is considered to be in significant decline and requires monitoring mainly because of habitat and resource loss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owston's palm civet</span> Species of carnivore

Owston's palm civet is a civet native to Vietnam, Laos and southern China. It is listed as Endangered by IUCN because of an ongoing population decline, estimated to be more than 50% over the last three generations, inferred from over-exploitation, habitat destruction and degradation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small-toothed palm civet</span> Species of carnivore

The small-toothed palm civet, also known as the three-striped palm civet, is a viverrid native to dense forests of Southeast Asia, from the Assam district of India to Indochina and the Malay Peninsula and on Sumatra, Bangka, Java, Borneo, and numerous small nearby islands of Indonesia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large-spotted civet</span> Species of carnivore

The large-spotted civet is a viverrid native to Southeast Asia that is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-throated marten</span> Species of carnivore

The yellow-throated marten is a marten species native to Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution, evidently relatively stable population, occurrence in a number of protected areas, and lack of major threats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colombian weasel</span> Species of carnivore

The Colombian weasel, also known as Don Felipe's weasel, is a very rare species of weasel only known with certainty from the departments of Huila and Cauca in Colombia and nearby northern Ecuador. Both its scientific and alternative common name honours the mammalogist Philip "Don Felipe" Hershkovitz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Javan ferret-badger</span> Species of carnivore

The Javan ferret-badger is a mustelid endemic to Java and Bali, Indonesia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and occurs from at least 260 to 2,230 m elevation in or close to forested areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-bellied weasel</span> Species of carnivore

The yellow-bellied weasel is a species of weasel that inhabits pine forests in central and eastern Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malayan weasel</span> Species of weasel from Malay Peninsula (Mustela nudipes)

The Malayan weasel or Malay weasel is a weasel species native to the Malay Peninsula and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burmese ferret-badger</span> Species of carnivore

The Burmese ferret-badger, also known as the large-toothed ferret-badger, is a mustelid native to Southeast Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese goral</span> Species of mammal

The Chinese goral, also known as the grey long-tailed goral or central Chinese goral, is a species of goral, a small goat-like ungulate, native to mountainous regions of Myanmar, China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, and possibly Laos. In some parts of its range, it is overhunted. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed it as a "vulnerable species".

Mustela aistoodonnivalis, the missing-toothed pygmy weasel or Sichuan weasel, is a species of weasel that inhabits mountains in the Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces of China.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Roberton, S.; Duckworth, J.W.; Timmins, R.J.; Abramov, A.V.; Chutipong, W.; Choudhury, A.; Willcox, D.H.A.; Dinets, V. (2016). "Mustela strigidorsa". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T14027A45201218. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T14027A45201218.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Pocock, R. I. (1941). "Mustela strigidorsa Gray. The Back-striped Weasel". The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma. Mammalia Vol. II. Carnivora (suborders Aeluroidae (part) and Arctoidae). London: Taylor and Francis, Ltd. pp. 376–380.
  3. 1 2 Abramov, A. V.; Duckworth, J. W.; Wang, Y.; Roberton, S. I. (2008). "The stripe-backed weasel Mustela strigidorsa: taxonomy, ecology, distribution and status" (PDF). Mammal Review. 48 (4): 247–266. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2907.2008.00115.x.[ dead link ]
  4. Grassman, L. I.; Kreetiyutanont, K.; Tewes, M. E. (2002). "The Back-striped weasel Mustela strigidorsa Gray, 1853 in northeastern Thailand". Small Carnivore Conservation (26): 2.
  5. Datta, A. (1999). "Small Carnivores in two Protected Areas of Arunachal Pradesh". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 96: 399–404.
  6. Streicher, U.; Duckworth, J.W. & Robichaud, W.G. (2008). "Further Records of Stripe-backed Weasel Mustela strigidorsa from Lao PDR". Tropical Natural History. 10 (2): 199–203.