Siberian Weasel

About this species

Size

Body 28–39cm (males), 25–30.5cm (females); tail 13–21cm

Weight

Males 650–820g; females 360–430g

Diet

Small to moderate-sized rodents such as voles and mice; also pikas, small birds and fish

Habitat

Forest and open ground

Litter size

4–10 kits

Gestation

38–41 days

The Siberian weasel, or kolonok, is a medium-sized weasel with a long, stretched body, short legs and a narrow, small head. Its coat is a plain bright reddish ochre or straw-red, paler on the flanks and belly, with a dark coffee-brown mask on the face and white lips and chin. The tail is about half the length of the body, brighter than the back and fluffier than in other weasels. Males are 28–39 cm long and females 25–30.5 cm (Wikipedia, general species account).

Its range runs from the Himalayas in Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan to northern Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Taiwan, China and Korea. It is an active hunter that chases prey through snow, logs, water and buildings, and eats about 100–120 g of food a day, caching any extra. Rodents are its main prey. After a gestation of 38–41 days a female bears 4–10 kits, which open their eyes after a month and are weaned at about two months (Wikipedia, general species account).

Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)