Mustela putorius
Western Polecat is a small marten. The female is 29–37 cm long, with a tail of about 11–17 cm. The male is larger, 35–46 cm long, with a tail of about 13–19 cm; the female weighs 0.5–0.8 kg, the male, 0.7–1.5 kg.
The area around the snout is white, with black around the eyes; behind the eyes there is a variably sized white patch reaching from the face to under the ears. The ears are dark with white tips. The undercoat is light grey or yellowish; the coat is black. The belly and legs are dark. The coat is darker in summer than in winter.
Western Polecats live in deciduous and mixed woodland, preferably near water or wetland areas, but may also inhabit damp meadows and cultivated areas that are not farmed too intensively. They are also found in dry areas with Rabbit colonies. Polecats may also live in urban areas. Western Polecats don’t like to climb, so if they inhabit buildings, they are normally found at ground level. They are nocturnal but may sometimes be seen during the day.
A Western Polecat at the entrance to its den. LG.
Western Polecats establish territories, but males and females are both solitary, except during mating season. They do not hibernate, but are not as active in winter as in summer. They have five toes with long claws on both front and hind feet. The front footprint is 3–3.5 cm long and 2.5–4 cm wide. The prints of the hind feet are about 4.5 cm long and 4 cm wide. Since polecats normally jump-walk, you almost always see two parallel sets of tracks; in snow and on soft terrain, tail tracks might be visible. The prints resemble those of an American Mink, and the length of the stride is 40–60 cm.
Tracks of a Western Polecat, with the tail track clearly visible. PB.
Western Polecats feed principally on amphibians and Rabbits, but they also catch snakes, mice, and rats. They may also consume small fish and insects, birds, and eggs, as well as carrion.
Their scat is dark, 5–8 cm long and 0.5–1 cm thick, and twisted and pointed at one end. The scat contains hair and bones, but normally no fish bones or scales. The scat smells very strong and has an unpleasant odour, but it is not used to scent-mark territory. The scat is often left in mounds in latrines near the den. When polecats go on poultry raids, they remove eggs to take to a spot where they can eat them without disturbance.
Scat of Western Polecat. Biopix.
In wetter areas you might find plentiful remains of frogs and toads, especially toad heads at feeding sites; apparently polecats leave the toad heads to avoid their poison glands.
Western Polecats utilise a variety of cavities, living, for example, in Rabbit burrows and old fox dens, under tree roots, in hollow trees, as well as in sheds and even under abandoned cars. If adequate nest sites cannot be found, the polecat digs a den in a dry embankment, especially near a stream or river.
Western Polecat is nocturnal and rarely active during the day. LG.
