| Citation |
Willcox, D.H.A., Duckworth, J.W., Timmins, R.J., Abramov, A.V., Choudhury, A., Chutipong, W., Chan, B., Lau, M. & Roberton, S. 2016. Mustela kathiah. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T41655A45214014. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T41655A45214014.en. Downloaded on 13 August 2019. |
Description |
RANGE DESCRIPTION
Yellow-bellied Weasel is found along parts of the Indian Himalaya through Nepal, Bhutan, North-east India and southern China east to Hong Kong, and in South-east Asia in northern and central Myanmar, northern and central Thailand, Lao PDR and Viet Nam, with one series of records in the Cardamom mountains of Cambodia (Pocock 1941, Duckworth and Robichaud 2005, Than Zaw et al. 2008, Pei et al. 2010, Ghimirey and Acharya 2012, Supparatvikorn et al. 2012, Abramov et al. 2013, Choudhury 2013, Phan et al. 2014). The southernmost record is from the Dalat Plateau, Viet Nam (Abramov et al. 2013). Historically, this species was much overlooked in South-east Asia, with no records from Thailand at all, and the few from Viet Nam all coming from the northern highlands. Its full southern extent is perhaps still not determined (Duckworth and Robichaud 2005). As of late 2014, there are no records from Bangladesh (Hasan Rahman pers comm. 2014), although it seems likely to occur in the evergreen forests of the north-east.
There is wide variation in altitudinal use over Yellow-bellied Weasels range. In Hong Kong, it is found from close to sea-level to over 200 m (M.W.N. Lau pers. comm. 2006). In China, it has been recorded at 150 m on Hainan Island, at 1,415 m in north-western Guangxi, to 1,900 m in north-west Yunnan (Bosco P.L. Chan pers. comm. 2014) There is one record from Viet Nam at only 50 m, although most others traced by Roberton (2007) were in hills and mountains. Records from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Myanmar are all from above 770 m, most from above 1,000 m (Than Zaw et al. 2008, Supparatvikorn et al. 2012, Phan et al. 2014) and given patterns of survey effort, it is safe to conclude that it does not typically inhabit the lowlands of South-east Asia west of the Annamite Mountains. In India it occurs mostly at 1,000-4,000 m (Choudhury 2013), in Bhutan up to 3,800 m (P. Yonzon pers. comm. 2006).
DESCRIPTION
Recent camera-trap records suggest that Yellow-bellied Weasel is fairly common in forested areas in southern China (Lau et al. 2010), where few other small carnivores survive in meaningful numbers. However, in general it seems difficult to camera-trap (e.g., Than Zaw et al. 2008, Supparatvikorn et al. 2012, Willcox et al. 2014: SOM3) and this hinders assessment of its population status. Despite the rather low density of records across most of its range, there is no reason to assume that this species is rare, and its persistence in various highly degraded and/or heavily hunted areas suggests its population is unlikely to be in decline (e.g., Duckworth and Robichaud, 2005, Lau et al. 2010).
HABITAT AND ECOLOGY
Yellow-bellied Weasel in most of its range is generally associated with rugged highlands (over 1,000 m). It may occur well below 1,000 m in such areas, but it seems unlikely that the species occurs at lower elevations in areas away from high altitude terrain, except in parts of China and Viet Nam. While evidently primarily an evergreen forest species, it seems likely that it is tolerant of even quite severe habitat degradation, and it appears to persist in the face of heavy hunting (Duckworth and Robichaud 2005, Lau et al. 2010). Its natural history has never been studied; it is evidently diurnal, probably mostly ground-dwelling but an at least occasional climber, and is assumed to be largely carnivorous (but see Wan 2014). On Hainan Island, China, where it is the only Mustela species, thus reducing risks of confusion, villagers report that it raids poultry regularly in villages (Bosco P.L. Chan pers. comm. 2014).
THREATS
As with many other forest weasels, there are no major threats known or suspected to this species. In particular, the effects of the current high levels of forest degradation within much of its range cannot be assumed to be strongly negative, given the number of records from degraded and fragmented areas. Similarly, although much of its range coincides with heavy generalised mammal hunting using non-specific techniques, there is no evidence that this (or the inevitable retaliatory killing for actual or perceived losses of small livestock such as poultry) is driving steep declines over any large proportion of its range. This does not mean that such declines might not be occurring locally; this is most likely to be so in Viet Nam, looking at patterns of ground-level snaring pressure. Even in this case, the paucity of salvage records from snare lines suggests that weasels are only rarely caught: plausibly they move through the brush-wood drift fences (R.J. Timmins pers. comm. 2014) and, given that the snare-lines usually run across relatively open understorey, weasels perhaps avoid these areas anyway (D.H.A. Willcox pers. comm. 2014). It remains secure in heavily hunted parts of south China where most other carnivores are now very rare (Lau et al. 2010).
USE AND TRADE
There is no evidence of specific demand for this species, but much of its range coincides with heavy generalised mammal hunting using non-specific techniques. The use of Yellow-bellied Weasels so caught is not well understood. |
