# Steppe polecat (*Mustela eversmanii*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/steppe-polecat  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The steppe polecat (Mustela eversmanii), also called the steppe weasel, white polecat or masked polecat, is a mammal in the family Mustelidae, subfamily Mustelinae, within the order Carnivora. It is a medium-sized, terrestrial and nocturnal carnivore with an adult body mass of 1.7 kg, living in grassland and shrubland. Gestation lasts from 36 to 46 days, and females have 1 litter per year with 7.8 young per litter. The IUCN Red List assesses the steppe polecat as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 945 g – 1.68 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 11.1 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 14 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | grassland, shrubland |
| Gestation | 36 days – 46 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 7.82 |
| Age at maturity | 10.2 months – 10.5 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Reproduction | Live birth |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Mustelidae
- genus: Mustela
- species: *Mustela eversmanii* Lesson, 1827

Synonyms: *Mustela amurensis*, *Mustela eversmanii admirata*, *Mustela eversmanii amurensis*, *Mustela eversmanii eversmanii*, *Mustela eversmanii hungarica*, *Mustela eversmanii larvatus*, *Mustela eversmanii michnoi*, *Mustela eversmanii talassicus*, *Mustela eversmannii*, *Mustela lineiventer*, *Mustela tiarata*, *Putorius eversmanii dauricus*, *Putorius eversmanii tuvinicus*, *Putorius tibetanus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the steppe polecat?

The steppe polecat is a mammal in the family Mustelidae and the order Carnivora. Its scientific name is Mustela eversmanii.

### How heavy is the steppe polecat?

The steppe polecat has an adult body mass of 1.7 kg, which places it in the medium size class.

### What does the steppe polecat eat?

The steppe polecat is a carnivore.

### What habitat does the steppe polecat live in?

The steppe polecat lives in grassland and shrubland, where it is terrestrial and nocturnal.

### Is the steppe polecat endangered?

No. The IUCN Red List lists the steppe polecat as Least Concern, which is not a threatened category.

### How long does the steppe polecat live?

The steppe polecat has a lifespan of 11.1 years, with values up to 14 years reported.

### How many young does the steppe polecat have?

The steppe polecat has 7.8 young per litter and 1 litter per year, after a gestation of 36 to 46 days.

### Who named the steppe polecat?

The steppe polecat was named Mustela eversmanii by Lesson, 1827.

## 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: Steppe polecat (Mustela eversmanii). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/steppe-polecat