| Yellow-bellied weasel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| At Shillong, Meghalaya, India | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Mustela |
| Species: | M. kathiah |
| Binomial name | |
| Mustela kathiah Hodgson, 1835 | |
 | |
| Yellow-bellied weasel range | |
The yellow-bellied weasel (Mustela kathiah) is a type of weasel. It lives in pine forests in central and eastern Asia.
This type of weasel is named for its yellow-colored underbelly; the upperside of the body and the tail are of a dark brown. Yellow-bellied weasels can grow up to 9.8–10.6 inches (25–27 cm) long. The tail is 4.9–5.9 inches (12–15 cm) long. It weighs about 3.3 pounds (1.5 kg).
It lives in Bhutan, Burma, China, India, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand and Vietnam. It lives in forests between 1,000 m and 2,000 m in elevation. In winter, it may come down lower than 1,000 m.
Yellow-bellied weasels mostly eat rodents such as mice, rats, and voles. They will also eat birds and small mammals.
Yellow-bellied weasels first build a den in the ground. They breed every year. Mating happens in late spring or early summer. Females are pregnant for about ten months. The female gives birth to 3-18 kits in April or May. By the time the kits are eight weeks old, they are ready to go out and hunt by themselves.
Yellow-bellied weasels are easily trained. It can be used to control rodents in buildings.
