Identification:
Size: Small, belonging to the weasel family.
Body Length: 130 – 280 mm.
Tail Length: 17 – 40 mm.
Weight: 40 – 70 grams.
Winter Coat: White.
Summer Coat: Brown or coffee-colored on the back, with a white belly, creating a distinct line along the flanks.
Biology and Ecology:
Diet: Primarily mice; occasionally small birds, spiders, and insects.
Breeding Season: Relatively long, with estrus beginning in March.
Gestation Period: 54 days.
Litter Size: 4 – 7 offspring.
Habitat: Found in various habitats including forests, grasslands near villages, and are particularly common in mixed broadleaf and coniferous forests.
Behavior: Does not dig its own burrows; instead, it occupies burrows of rodents. Primarily active from dusk to midnight.
Distribution:
Vietnam: Lào Cai (Sapa)
Worldwide: Former Soviet Union, China.
Value:
Economic: Its soft, smooth fur is valuable in the leather industry.
Ecological: It controls rodent populations, benefiting agriculture.
Status:
The white-bellied weasel is very rare in Vietnam and has only been documented in foreign literature.
Conservation Recommendations:
Prohibit hunting and trapping. Promote captive breeding and propagation in zoos.