Siberian Weasel

Siberian Weasel

Mustela sibirica

Silhouette: painting Guo · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Shanghai

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

33 Verified sightings at Shanghai
14 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Siberian Weasel

The Siberian weasel or kolonok (Mustela sibirica) is a medium-sized weasel native to Asia, where it is widely distributed and inhabits various forest habitats and open areas. It is therefore listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List.

The Siberian weasel has a long, stretched out body with relatively short legs. Its head is elongated, narrow and relatively small, and its short ears are broad at the base. Its tail is half the length of its body. Its winter fur is very dense, soft and fluffy, with guard hairs reaching 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in) in length. The underfur is dense and loose fitting. Siberian weasels are monotone in colour, being bright reddish-ocherous or straw-red, though orange or peach tones are sometimes noticeable on the skin. These tones are especially bright on the back, while the flanks and underbelly are paler. A dark, coffee-brown mask is present on the face. Their tails are more brightly coloured than the back, and are fluffier than those of other members of the genus. The lips and chin are white or slightly ochreous. The front of the muzzle is darker than the remaining parts of the head. Its skull is in several respects intermediate in form between... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Jiuzhaigou National Park 🇨🇳 China
~30%
2 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Nanjing 🇨🇳 China
~20%
2 Wuhan 🇨🇳 China
~20%
3 Qingdao 🇨🇳 China
~20%
4 Shanghai 🇨🇳 China
~10%
5 Beijing 🇨🇳 China
~10%
6 Hangzhou 🇨🇳 China
~10%
7 Seoul 🇰🇷 South Korea
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Ostrava Zoo 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity
2 Nanjing Hongshan Forest Zoo 🇨🇳 China In captivity
3 La Torbiera 🇮🇹 Italy In captivity
4 Ouwehands Dierenpark 🇳🇱 Netherlands In captivity
5 Tabor Zoo 🇨🇿 Czechia In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Siberian Weasel in Shanghai?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Siberian Weasel sighting in Shanghai on a given day, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 5 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Siberian Weasel in Shanghai?

April, June–July and November

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Siberian Weasel in Shanghai on a given day, against about 10% in May, August–October and December–March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Siberian Weasel?

Between 2 and 5 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Siberian Weasel sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Shanghai the best place to see a Siberian Weasel?

4th of 7

Of the 7 cities where we can rate Siberian Weasel sightings, Shanghai ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Nanjing (China, about 20%), Wuhan (China, about 20%) and Qingdao (China, about 20%).

Where does the Siberian Weasel sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Siberian Weasel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Shanghai (33 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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