| Siberian weasel | |
|---|---|
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| InPangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Mustela |
| Species: | M. sibirica |
| Binomial name | |
| Mustela sibirica Pallas, 1773 | |
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| Siberian weasel range (green – native, red – introduced) | |
TheSiberian weasel orkolonok (Mustela sibirica) is a medium-sizedweasel native toAsia, where it is widely distributed and inhabits various forest habitats and open areas. It is therefore listed asleast concern on theIUCN Red List.[1]
The Siberian weasel has a long, stretched out body with relatively short legs. Its head is elongated, narrow and relatively small, and its short ears are broad at the base. Its tail is half the length of its body. Its winter fur is very dense, soft and fluffy, with guard hairs reaching 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) in length. The underfur is dense and loose fitting. Siberian weasels are monotone in colour, being bright reddish-ocherous or straw-red, though orange or peach tones are sometimes noticeable on the skin. These tones are especially bright on the back, while the flanks and underbelly are paler. A dark, coffee-brown mask is present on the face. Their tails are more brightly coloured than the back, and are fluffier than those of other members of the genus. The lips and chin are white or slightly ochreous. The front of the muzzle is darker than the remaining parts of the head.[3] Its skull is in several respects intermediate in form between that of the stoat and themink; it is longer and larger than that of the stoat, but is somewhat more flattened than the mink's.[4] Adult males are 28–39 cm (11–15 in) long, while females reach 25–30.5 cm (9.8–12.0 in). The tail in males reaches 15.5–21 cm (6.1–8.3 in) in length, while that of females reaches 13.3–16.4 cm (5.2–6.5 in). Males weigh 650–820 g (23–29 oz), while females weigh 360–430 g (13–15 oz). Exceptionally large individuals were sighted in theBaraba steppe.[5]
The Siberian weasel builds its nest inside fallen logs, empty stumps, brushwood piles and exposed tree roots. It also uses and enlarges the dens of other species. The length of its burrows ranges from 0.6–4.2 m (2 ft 0 in – 13 ft 9 in) and 0.2–1.3 m (7.9 in – 4 ft 3.2 in) deep. Adults have a permanent burrow and up to five temporary shelters, which may be separated from each other by several kilometres. They build a nesting chamber in the middle or end of the burrow and line it with bird feathers and rodent hair.[6]
In terms of prey selection, Siberian weasels are midway between small,rodent-eatingmustelids such aspolecats and the more polyphagousmartens. They rarely eatreptiles,invertebrates andplants, preferring instead to prey on rodents of small to moderate size.Water voles are their most frequent prey in their western range, whilevoles andmice are eaten in their eastern range. Moderate sized rodents targeted by Siberian weasels in the east includeDaurian andAlpine pikas, andSiberian zokors. In local areas,chipmunks,muskrats,red squirrels andjerboas are eaten.Fish may be eaten in some areas during certain seasons. InUssuriland, they scavenge extensively on the kills ofwolves andyellow-throated martens during the winter. Elsewhere, small birds are an important food item. Reptiles andamphibians are typically eaten at the periphery of the Siberian weasel's range. Plant foods known to be eaten by Siberian weasels includepine nuts andActinidia fruits. They typically eat about 100–120 grams (3.5–4.2 oz) of food daily, andcache excess food.[7] In urban areas in China, Siberian weasels prey extensively onrats. They are capable of killing and dragging the largestfowls.[8] Siberian weasels are active hunters and chase prey through snow, logs, water and people's houses.[4][9]
Therutting period of the Siberian weasel varies depending on location. In western Siberia, it begins in early February to late March. InPrimorye, it begins in early March to late April. Six pairs of Siberian weasels in a fursovkhoz nearMoscow were in rut between 25 April and 15 May. They repeatedly mate during 35 minutes. Thegestation period lasts 38–41 days. There is one record of a female giving birth after only 28 days. Litters consist of 4–10 kits. They are born blind and are sparsely furred with white hair. They develop light yellow hair after a few days, and open their eyes after a month. They suckle for two months, and become independent by late August. By this time, the young have almost reached adult size, but still have theirdeciduous teeth and lighter bones. Their fur is darker than that of adults.[10]
As of 2005[update],[11] 11 subspecies are recognised.
| Subspecies | Trinomial authority | Description | Range | Synonyms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siberian kolonok Mustela sibirica sibirica | Pallas, 1773 | A small subspecies with light, yellowish-red fur. Skull length in males is 5.8–6.3 cm, while in females it is 4.9–5.6 cm.[12] | All ofSiberia eastward to theZeya River basin, the contiguous parts ofMongolia and possibly the extreme western parts of northeasternChina | australis (Satunin, 1911) miles (Barrett-Hamilton, 1904) |
| Tibetan kolonok Mustela sibirica canigula | Hodgson, 1842 | Distinguished from other subspecies by having a much greater amount of white fur around the muzzle, neck and almost to the forelimbs. It has an exceptionally thick coat and bushy tail. The body is bright foxy-red, and lacks a black tail-tip.[13] | Tibet | |
| Manchurian kolonok Mustela sibirica charbinensis | Lowkashkin, 1935 | Manchuria | ||
| Korean kolonok Mustela sibirica coreanus | Domaniewski, 1926 | TheKorean Peninsula | peninsulae (Kishida, 1931) | |
| Taiwanese kolonok Mustela sibirica davidiana
| Milne-Edward's, 1871 | Has a more intense colouration thanfontanierii, being almost ochreous orange in fresh winter pelage[14] | Southeastern China north toHubei andTaiwan | melli (Matschie, 1922) noctis (Barrett-Hamilton, 1904) |
| North Chinese kolonok Mustela sibirica fontanierii
| Milne-Edwards, 1871 | Has a uniform pale fulvous coat with a pale brown forehead and muzzle, with varying degrees of white in the center of the throat and neck[15] | Northern China, includingBeijing,Hebei,Shandong,Shaanxi andShanxi | stegmanni (Matschie, 1907) |
| Hodgson's kolonok Mustela sibirica hodgsoni | Gray, 1843 | Distinguished fromcanigula by the smaller amount of white on the muzzle, the head's darker hue and the white area of the throat being limited to white patches rather than forming a continuous line. It is similar in size tosubhemachalana andmoupinensis, though its skull is smaller than the latter's.[16] | Kashmir and the westernHimalayas from Kam to Garwal | |
| Far Eastern kolonok Mustela sibirica manchurica | Brass, 1911 | A somewhat larger subspecies thansibirica, with a lighter red coloured coat. Skull length in males is 6.3–6.7 cm, while in females it is 5.7–6.2 cm.[12] | Priamurye to the west of the Zeya, thePrimorye and northeastern China | |
| Burmese kolonok Mustela sibirica moupinensis
| Milne-Edwards, 1974 | Closely resemblessubhemachalana in having a black tail tip, but distinguished by its larger skull and greater incidence of white fur on the muzzle[17] | Sichuan,Gansu, andYunnan, China andBurma | hamptoni (Thomas, 1921) major (Hilzheimer, 1910) |
| Quelpart kolonok Mustela sibirica quelpartis | Thomas, 1908 | Jeju Island,South Korea | ||
| Himalayan kolonok Mustela sibirica subhemachalana | Hodgson, 1837 | Smaller thansibirica and has a blackish tail tip. It lacks the typical white patch on the sides of the muzzle, which is blackish, save for narrow white lines on the edge of the upper lip and a white chin. The general colour ranges from bright foxy-red to dark chocolate brown.[18] | The Himalayas fromNepal toBhutan | horsfieldii (Gray, 1843) humeralis (Blyth, 1842) |
The Siberian weasels ranges from theHimalayas inPakistan,India,Nepal andBhutan to northernMyanmar, northernThailand,Laos,Taiwan,China, andKorea. In Russia, it occurs in theKirov Province,Tataria, from the westernUrals throughSiberia to theRussian Far East. It has been introduced toHonshu,Shikoku andKyushu islands.[1]
Fossils of the Siberian weasel are known fromDenisova Cave.[19]
InChinese folklore, the Siberian weasel is viewed as a wandering spirit (shen) that can steal and replace people's souls.[20]
Although Siberian weasels are overall useful for limiting rodent populations, they are nonetheless damaging topoultry andmuskrat farms.[21] They frequently enter the roosts of domesticatedfowl andpigeons, sometimeskilling more than they can eat.[8]
Siberian weasels are valuable furbearers, being significantly harvested in Siberia and the Far East. Their fur is used both in its natural state and for imitating the fur of more valuable species.[21] A couple of alternative names for the fur wereTartar sable andfire marten.[22] Siberian weasel fur is also used to make the so-calledkolinsky sable-hair brush. In China, their orange fur is largely used to createink brushes forcalligraphers. The name of the brush is thus 狼毫筆, lit. 'wolf hairs brush', as a reduction from 黃鼠狼 + 毫 + 筆, lit. "yellow ratwolf" "hairs" "brush". Their hairs are appreciated because they are harder than goat hair (羊毫). They are hunted by shooting with dogs or through the use of box traps.[21] They are extremely aggressive when caught in traps, emitting piercing shrieks and letting loose a pungent secretion which reportedly takes days to wash away.[8]
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