As with other weasel species Indonesian mountain weasels will communicate primarily with odors and secondarily with "clicks" or other auditory noises.
Communication Channels: chemical
Other Communication Modes: scent marks
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Indonesian mountain weasels are endangered because they are endemic to a very small area and because they are very poorly known. They are among the rarest of the weasel family and face issues with habitat fragmentation. Habitat fragmentation has a very strong correlation with declines in weasel abundance.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
No specific negative effects to humans are known, but weasels are known to eat poultry. This can be a big problem for farmers in the area who use poultry as a main source of income or food.
Negative Impacts: household pest
Indonesian mountain weasels are known to keep rodent populations in check; a common pest for humans.
Positive Impacts: controls pest population
Weasels are pest controlers and have been known to eradicate species from their home ranges.
Weasels are completely carnivorous and the Indianian mountain weasel is no different. They are especially adapted to eating rodents; their agility and speed allows them to take down prey much larger than themselves. They are also very good at removing rodents from their burrows. Some species of weasels are known to stay at one prey den until they have completely eliminated all of the inhabitants.
Animal Foods: birds; mammals; amphibians
Primary Diet: carnivore (Eats terrestrial vertebrates, Eats eggs)
Indonesian mountain weasels are only found on the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia. Indonesian mountain weasels are island endemic and native to the Oriental biogeographic ragion. More surveys need to be conducted in these areas to determine their exact distribution and home ranges.
Biogeographic Regions: oriental (Native )
Other Geographic Terms: island endemic
Indonesian mountain weasels, as their names suggests, live in the tropical rainforest mountainous regions of Indonesia. However, very little is known about their preferred habitat conditions besides their preference for higher elevations. It is believed that their elevation ranges from 1,000 m to 2,200 m, but little is known of how they function at extreme elevations or if they can live outside of their range. According to the IUCN there are only 15 known specimen of the Indonesian mountain weasel, and of those only 12 have a locality. More surveys and research is needed to determine habitat range and preference.
Range elevation: 1,000 to 2,200 m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: rainforest ; mountains
Little is known about how long Indonesian mountain weasels live, but some suggest between 7 to 10 years of age (indonesianfauna.com, 2004). Nor do they known about the lifespan of Indonesian mountain weasels in captivity. However, other species of weasels live up to 20 years in the wild and do very well in captivity (Walker et al., 1964).
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 7 to 10 years.
The Indonesian mountain weasel as a weasel has very specific traits that all in their genus share. Weasels have long, slender bodies with short legs. This body design allows them to enter any place in which they can stick their heads. A long slender body has costs; while their metabolic rate tends to be similar to other mammals of the same size, they tend to lose heat much faster due to their shape (Brown and Lasiewski, 1972). The Indonesian mountain weasel tends to be between 279 m and 321 m from head to the base of the tail. The tail is about 136 mm to 170 mm long (Eaton, 2009). There is very little information specifically on the Indonesian mountain weasel, however, we know that they have reddish-brown fur and a foramen on their skull by which they can be identified. This foramen is located "in the medial part of the auditory bullae, mid-way along the anterior-posterior axis, at the point where the bullae attach to the skull" (Meiri, Duckworth, and Meijarrd, 2007).
Range mass: 295 to 340 g.
Range length: 297 to 321 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
Indonesian mountain weasels have no known predators, aside from humans. It is believed that due to their fierce nature, it would not be worth a predators effort to attempt to consume them. It is believed that some weasel species are eaten by foxes. While there are no foxes in Indonesia it is possible some of the other carnivores might be a threat to Indonesian mountain weasels.
As a member of the badgers, otters, and weasels family, Indonesian Mountain weasels have a polygnous mating system in which the males will fight for access to a female. It is noted that these fights can be extremely vicious. Weasels are solitary creatures and the mating season is often the only time adults will interact with one another. This type of behavior is called a solitary-territorial mating system (Bright, 2000). The specifics of Indonesian mountain weasel mating habits are unknown.
Mating System: polygynous
Indonesian mountain weasels become sexually mature at about a year of age. Their breeding season is believed to be between March and May, followed by a gestation period of approximately 30 days. ndonesian mountain weasels, like other weasels, give birth to altricial young. This means that the young are born with their eyes shut and with very little fur. The pups rely solely on their mother for care. It takes about a month for pups eyes to fully open, and another month after which they will become fully weaned.
Breeding interval: The frequency of Indonesian mountain weasel breeding is unknown.
Breeding season: Indonesian mountain weasels mate from March to May.
Range number of offspring: 2 to 12.
Average gestation period: 30 days.
Average time to independence: 2 months.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
For weasels, care of young fall on the mother alone. Even though the young are altricial, they are fully weaned after 2 months and leave their mother. However, the litter tends to prefer to remain together until Autumn.
Parental Investment: altricial ; female parental care ; pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female)
The Indonesian mountain weasel (Mustela lutreolina) is a species of weasel that lives on the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia at elevations over 1,000 metres (3,280 ft). They live in mountainous, tropical, and rainforest areas. Indonesian mountain weasels have a body length of 11–12 inches and a tail length of 5–6 inches. They are reddish-brown in color.
The Indonesian mountain weasel is endangered due to hunting, fur trade, and destruction of habitat. There are no recognized subspecies of the Indonesian mountain weasel.
Indonesian mountain weasels are carnivorous, and are especially adapted to eating rodents. They are able to kill prey much larger than themselves due to their speed and agility.[2]
The Indonesian mountain weasel (Mustela lutreolina) is a species of weasel that lives on the islands of Java and Sumatra in Indonesia at elevations over 1,000 metres (3,280 ft). They live in mountainous, tropical, and rainforest areas. Indonesian mountain weasels have a body length of 11–12 inches and a tail length of 5–6 inches. They are reddish-brown in color.
The Indonesian mountain weasel is endangered due to hunting, fur trade, and destruction of habitat. There are no recognized subspecies of the Indonesian mountain weasel.
