Mountain weasel

The mountain weasel, Mustela altaica, also called the pale weasel, Altai weasel or solongoi, primarily lives in high-altitude environments, as well as rocky tundra and grassy woodlands. It rests in rock crevices, tree trunks and abandoned burrows. Its range stretches across parts of Asia from Kazakhstan, Tibet and the Himalayas to Mongolia, northeastern China and southern Siberia, and it is most common in Ladakh, India. Males measure about 220 to 280 millimetres in head and body length plus a tail of 100 to 150 millimetres and weigh 230 to 340 grams, with females slightly smaller. The summer coat is gray to gray-brown with some light yellow, while the winter fur is darker yellow with some brown, and the underbelly is pale yellow to creamy white. Mountain weasels are strict carnivores that feed mainly on pikas and voles, are generally nocturnal but may hunt in daylight, and are capable of delayed implantation. The IUCN rates the species near threatened because it is considered to be in significant decline and requires monitoring, mainly because of habitat and resource loss.