# Mountain weasel (*Mustela altaica*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/mountain-weasel  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The mountain weasel (Mustela altaica), also called the Solongoi, Pale weasel, Altai weasel, Alpine weasel or White-footed weasel, is a mammal in the family Mustelidae, subfamily Mustelinae. It is a small, terrestrial, nocturnal carnivore with an adult body mass of 171 g and a highest reported value of 175.6 g. Its habitats are grassland and shrubland. Gestation lasts 39 days, with 5.8 young per litter and 1.1 litters per year, and the IUCN Red List classifies it as Near Threatened, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 171 g – 175.6 g |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | grassland, shrubland |
| Gestation | 39 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 5.77 |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1.1 |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Mustelidae
- genus: Mustela
- species: *Mustela altaica* Pallas, 1811

Synonyms: *Kolonocus alpinus birulai*, *Kolonocus alpinus raddei*, *Mustela altaica altaica*, *Mustela altaica birulai*, *Mustela altaica raddei*, *Mustela altaica raddei*, *Mustela altaica temon*, *Mustela astutus*, *Mustela longstaffi*, *Mustela sacana*, *Mustela temon*, *Putorius alpinus*, *Putorius astutus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the mountain weasel?

The mountain weasel is a mammal in the order Carnivora and the family Mustelidae, within the genus Mustela.

### How heavy is the mountain weasel?

The mountain weasel has an adult body mass of 171 g, with a highest reported value of 175.6 g, placing it in the small size class.

### What does the mountain weasel eat?

The mountain weasel is a carnivore.

### What habitats does the mountain weasel live in?

The mountain weasel lives in grassland and shrubland, where it is terrestrial and nocturnal.

### Is the mountain weasel endangered?

No. The IUCN Red List classifies the mountain weasel as Near Threatened, which is not a threatened category.

### How many young does the mountain weasel have?

The mountain weasel has 5.8 young per litter and 1.1 litters per year, after a gestation period of 39 days.

### Who named the mountain weasel?

The mountain weasel, Mustela altaica, was named by Pallas in 1811.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Mountain weasel (Mustela altaica). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/mountain-weasel