Back-striped weasel
Back-striped weasel | |
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A 19th century illustration of a back-striped weasel | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Carnivora |
Family: | Mustelidae |
Genus: | Mustela |
Species: | M. strigidorsa
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Binomial name | |
Mustela strigidorsa Gray, 1853
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Back-striped weasel range |
The back-striped weasel (Mustela strigidorsa), also called the stripe-backed weasel, is a
Characteristics
The back-striped weasel is distinguished from all other
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
Ecology and behavior
In the
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]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ ]
- ^ 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.
- ^ Datta, A. (1999). "Small Carnivores in two Protected Areas of Arunachal Pradesh". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 96: 399–404.
- ^ 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.