Poecilogale albinucha – African Striped Weasel

Recommended citation: Child MF, Rowe-Rowe D, Birss C, Wilson B, Palmer G, Stuart C, Stuart M, West S, Do Linh San E. 2016. A conservation assessment of Poecilogale albinucha. In Child MF, Roxburgh L, Do Linh San E, Raimondo D, Davies-Mostert HT, editors. The Red List of Mammals of South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. South African National Biodiversity Institute and Endangered Wildlife Trust, South Africa. It is a specialist predator of small mammals and has a high metabolic rate, which means it can only exist in habitats containing adequate numbers of prey. Such habitats are being lost or drastically transformed to grow food, cash crops or commercial forestry plantations. This is compounded by overgrazing that reduces the cover on which the African Striped Weasel’s prey species rely. Human population expansion has increased the number of dogs that often kill African Striped Weasels or compete for food. Similarly, Black-backed Jackal (Canis mesomelas) densities have increased markedly in these areas, which may also have a significant impact.