File:Wild_steppe_polecat_(cropped).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
OverviewAI-generated
Mustela eversmanii, commonly known as the Steppe Polecat or Steppe Weasel, is a species within the family Mustelidae. Described by Lesson in 1827, it belongs to the order Carnivora, class Mammalia, and phylum Chordata. The animal is a member of the weasel group and has a gestation period of 41 days. Its longest observed lifespan is 9.1 years.
This species inhabits shrubland and grassland environments. It has been recorded in Mongolia, Russia, the United States, China, and Uzbekistan. The IUCN Red List assessed its conservation status as Least Concern in 2016. Specimens are held by institutions including MSB, USNM, UMMZ, and UMZM.
Synthesized by Vinony from 29 facts across 6 sources: Wikidata, GBIF, Gbif Occ, IUCN Red List, iDigBio, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.
Species
Least ConcernMustela eversmanii
SPECIES
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassMammalia
- OrderCarnivora
- FamilyMustelidae
Maximum longevity: 9.1 years (captivity) Observations: These animals appear to be completely developed at 2 years of age (Virginia Hayssen et al. 1993). One specimen was at least 9.1 years old when it died in captivity (Richard Weigl 2005). Maximum longevity could be slightly underestimated, though.
via GBIF · IUCN
Museum specimens
- Specimen records
- 48
- Family
- Mustelidae
- Collections
- MSB, USNM, UMMZ, UMZM
- Recorded in
- Mongolia, Russia, United States, China, Uzbekistan
Wikidata facts
Show 9 more facts
- taxon rank
- species
- IUCN conservation status
- Least Concern
- Commons category
- Mustela eversmanii
- taxon name
- Mustela eversmanii
- gestation period
- 41
- taxon common name
- stepski dihur
- longest observed lifespan
- 9.1
- habitat
- grassland
- short name
- M. eversmanii
Sources (3)
via Wikidata · CC0
~15 min read
Encyclopedic overview
The steppe polecat (Mustela eversmanii), also known as the white or masked polecat, is a species of mustelid native to Central and Eastern Europe and Central and East Asia. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List because of its wide distribution, occurrence in a number of protected areas, and tolerance to some degree of habitat modification. It is generally of a very light yellowish colour, with dark limbs and a dark mask across the face. Compared to its relative, the European polecat, the steppe polecat is larger in size and has a more powerfully built skull.
The steppe polecat is a nomadic animal which typically only settles in one area until its prey, mainly ground squirrels, are extirpated. It mates from March to May, and generally gives birth to litters of three to six kits, which attain their full growth at the age of two years. It hunts for larger prey than the European polecat, including pikas and marmots.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Mustela eversmanii” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.