Mammaling
MammalingSpecies accountsCarnivores › Mustelidae

Back-striped Weasel

Mustela strigidorsa
LC · Least concern Carnivora Mustelidae
Activity
Variable (day and night)
Sociability
Solitary

Description

One of the least frequently seen weasels in Southeast Asia, so rarely recorded by camera traps or direct observation that much of what is known about its distribution comes from very few confirmed sightings.

How to identify it

Elongated body with a pale stripe along the back, the feature that gives the Back-striped Weasel its common name. It is distinguished from other weasels in its range by this dorsal stripe, though identification can prove difficult given the scarcity of reference sightings.

Signs and tracks

Very rarely detected, even with camera-trapping survey effort, suggesting highly elusive habits or low population density.

Habitat and range

Mountain forest of India, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

Diet

Carnivorous; presumably rodents and other small vertebrates, like other weasels.

Behaviour

Extremely elusive and rarely recorded, even in areas with intensive camera-trapping effort.

Conservation

A widely distributed species, but very little studied because it is so elusive.

Threats

No major threats have been identified on a global scale, although the lack of data makes an accurate assessment difficult.

Other accounts in Mustelidae

See all species accounts for carnivores · Full species index

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