Yellow-bellied weasel
The yellow-bellied weasel ("Mustela kathiah") is a species of weasel that inhabits pine forests in central and eastern Asia. Description. The species is named for its yellow-colored underbelly; the upperside of the body and the tail are of a dark brown. Body length is . The tail of is about half as long as the body. Mean weight is about . Taxonomy. Two subspecies are recognized: "M. k. caporiaccoi" (de Beaux, 1935) and "M. k. kathiah" (Hodgson, 1835). Distribution and habitat. The yellow-bellied weasel occurs in Bhutan, Burma, China, India, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam . It inhabits forested habitats at elevations of , but moves down to lower elevations in winter; in winter it may come down lower than 1,000 m. Ecology. Yellow-bellied weasels eat birds, mice, rats, voles, and other small mammals. Yellow-bellied weasels first build a den in the ground. Breeding occurs annually. Mating occurs in late spring or early summer. Females are pregnant for about ten months. The female gives birth to 3-18 kits in April or May. By the time the kits are eight weeks old, they are ready to go out and hunt on their own. Yellow-bellied