Observations of Mountain Weasel Mustela altaica and Siberian Weasel M. sibirica in Nepal

Yadav GHIMIREY1*, Raju ACHARYA1, Anand CHAUDHARY2 and Anil PRAJAPATI3

Abstract

Mountain Weasel Mustela altaica and Siberian Weasel M. sibirica were observed at localities new for the species, Annapurna

KeywordsConservation Area (ACA) and Mugu district, respectively. These add to the few specific locality records for each species in Nepal.

: altitude, central Himalaya, distribution, Data Deficient, Near Threatened, threats पहाडी र साइबे�रयाली मलसां��क� नेपालबाट नयाँ रेकड�

सारांश

एउटा पहाडी म�सां�ो Mustela altaica र एउटा साइबे�रयािल म�सां�ो M. sibirica �मश� ��नपणु � संर�ण �े�को मािथ�लो म�ताु ंग र मगु ु िज�लाको रारा तल निजक देिखएका िथए । य�ता सचनाह�लू े नेपालमा थोरै मा� जानकारी भएका म�सां�ोको �जाितह�को भौगोिलक िव�तारको बारेमा मह�वपणू � जानकारी िम�दछ । ��तुत लेखमा यी दवु ै म�सां�ोको नयाँ ठाउँ िबशेषबाट ग�रएको रेकड�बारे िववेचना ग�रएको छ ।

Five species of weasels Mustela, Stoat M. erminea, Siberian A full-grown Mountain Weasel (Fig. 1) was observed on Weasel M. sibirica, Yellow-bellied Weasel M. kathiah, Mountain 17 August 2008 in mid-afternoon between Samar and Syang- Weasel M. altaica and Stripe-backed Weasel M. strigidorsa, are bochen in Mustang district (28°58′N, 83°48′E; altitude 3,800 reported to occur in Nepal (Baral & Shah 2008, Jnawali et al. m). The location lies within Annapurna Conservation Area, the 2011). However, the occurrence of Stripe-backed Weasel in largest protected area in central Nepal. The terrain was gently Nepal was questioned by Abramov et al. (2008), whilst none rolling, with much short shrubby vegetation amid rocky out- of Mitchell (1975), IUCN (2012) or Thapa (in prep.) included crops. The animal kept looking at the observers from behind Stoat as a member of the Nepal fauna. Even the other three the rocks, repeatedly darting in and out from the crevices and species are known from relatively few authenticated localities coming as close as 5 m. The day was sunny with a light breeze. in the country, and information about weasels from the entire An adult Siberian Weasel (Fig. 2) was observed on 21 De- Himalayan region is typically scarce. This note presents ad- cember 2012 at 12h00 near Pina Village Development Com- ditional localities of Mountain and Siberian Weasels from the mittee in Mugu district, north-west Nepal (about 29°32′N, Nepal Himalaya. 82°06′E; altitude somewhere within 2,700–3,000 m). The day

Fig. 1. Mountain Weasel Mustela altaica, Annapurna Conservation Area, Fig. 2. Siberian Weasel Mustela sibirica, Mugu district, Nepal, 21 December Nepal, 17 August 2008 (Photo: Anand Chaudhary). 2012 (Photo: Anil Prajapati).

Small Carnivore Conservation, Vol. 50: 64–65, July 2014 64 Weasels in Nepal

a Least Concern species both nationally and globally (Jnawali et al. 2011, IUCN 2012). However information is not available on its population size and potential threats in the country (Jnawali et al. 2011). Therefore, its national status category - propriate. might warrant further revision: Data Deficient might be ap Acknowledgements We would like to thank Bird Conservation Nepal and Royal Society for

ReferencesProtection of Birds for supporting the fieldwork. Abramov, A. V., Duckworth, J. W., Wang Y. X. & Roberton, S. I. 2008. The Stripe-backed Weasel Mustela strigidorsa - ogy, distribution and status. Mammal Review 38: 247–266. Baral, H. S. & Shah, K. B. 2008. Wild mammals of Nepal: taxonomy,. Himalayan ecol Nature, Kathmandu, Nepal. Fig. 3. Records of Mountain Weasel Mustela altaica and of Siberian Ghimirey, Y. & Acharya, R. 2012. Records of Siberian Weasel Mustela Weasel M. sibirica in Nepal. sibirica and Yellow-bellied Weasel Mustela kathiah from Makalu- Barun National Park, Nepal. Small Carnivore Conservation 47: was sunny and the weasel came within 15 m of the observers, 68–69. curiously peeping out from a fuel-wood pile outside a house Ghimirey, Y & Acharya, R. in prep. Mountain Weasel in Humla: its sta- about 100 m away from more natural habitat. tus and ethnobiology. These two weasel species are recorded from only a few IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. . Downloaded on 10 May 2013. Therefore their national status is uncertain at present. Avail- Jnawali, S. R., Baral, H. S., Lee, S., Acharya, K. P., Upadhyay, G. P., Pandey, ablespecific records localities, of both including the species the are present shown on records, Fig. 3. Mountain in Nepal. - Weasel has recently been recorded from Sagarmatha National wada, A. & Amin, R. (comps) 2011. The status of Nepal mammals: Park and Kanchenjunga Conservation Area further east of An- theM., Shrestha,national redR., Joshi,list series D., Lamichhane,. Department B. of R., National Griffiths, Parks J., Khati and napurna Conservation Area (Katuwal et al. 2013) and from Wildlife Conservation, Kathmandu, Nepal. Thadodhunga, Humla district (Ghimirey & Acharya in prep.) Katuwal, H. B., Khanal, B., Basnet, K., Rai, B., Devkota, S., Rai, S. K., No- lying west from Annapurna Conservation Area. It was por- bis, M. & Scheiddeger, C. 2013. The mammalian fauna from the trayed as occurring across the mountain region of Nepal by Central Himalaya, Nepal. Asian Journal of Conservation Biology Jnawali et al. (2011), but no details were given of the sources 2: 21–29. - tion, if any. This range should therefore be seen as hypotheti- bats). Säugetierkundliche Mitteilungen 23: 152–157. cal.for this,It is categorisednotably of the globally methods as Near of detection Threatened and on of The verifica IUCN Thapa,Mitchell, S. in R. prep. M. 1975. Checklist A checklist of mammals of Nepalese of Nepal. mammals (excluding Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2012) while it is assessed et al. 2011). Potential 1Friends of Nature (FON Nepal), PO Box 23491, threats in Nepal include depletion of prey base, habitat deg- Sundhara, Kathmandu, Nepal. radationas Data Deficientand general nationally disturbance (Jnawali through livestock and other 2SUNY College of Environmental Science and anthropogenic activities (Jnawali et al. 2011). Forestry, Syracuse, New York, U.S.A. Siberian Weasel has recently been recorded in Makalu– 3Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Barun National Park (Ghimirey & Acharya 2012) and Mana- Bio-resources (ANSAB), Nepal. slu Conservation Area (Katuwal et al. 2013). It is considered *Email: [email protected]

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