Steppe polecat

The steppe polecat, Mustela eversmanii, also called the white or masked polecat, is a mustelid native to Central and Eastern Europe and to Central and East Asia. It is generally a very light yellowish color with dark limbs and a dark mask across the face. Compared with the European polecat it is larger and has a more powerfully built skull. It is a nomadic animal that typically stays in one area only until its prey, mainly ground squirrels, has been wiped out, mates from March to May, and usually bears litters of three to six kits that reach full growth at two years. It hunts larger prey than the European polecat, including pikas and marmots. The IUCN lists it as Least Concern because of its wide distribution, its occurrence in protected areas and its tolerance of some habitat modification.