Classification
Order — Carnivora.
Family — Mustelidae.
Genus — Mustela.
Species — Mustela putorius.
Habitat
Distributed throughout much of Europe, but absent from Ireland, European polecats declined in the early 20th century, reaching their lowest ebb by the 1950s. Since the second half of the 20th century, they have been undergoing a recovery, aided by deliberate introductions and the post-myxamatosis recovery of rabbit populations. They currently occur in England as far north as Cheshire, south to Avon and reaching east to Leicester, as well as in most of rural Wales. There have also been introductions to several areas of Scotland. Confusion with regards to the distribution of this species can arise due to the occurrence of polecat-ferret crosses, which are very similar in appearance to pure polecats.
The European polecat inhabits lowland areas, usually below 500m and found in marshes, forest plantations, wooded areas, riverbanks, sea cliffs, and sand dunes. They are often associated with farm buildings.
Outward appearance
Length: 35 - 51 cm.
Tail: 12 - 19 cm.
Weight: 0.7 - 1.5 kg.
The appearance of the European polecat is typical of members of the genus Mustela, though it is generally more compact in conformation and, although short-legged, has a less elongated body than the European mink or steppe polecat.
The tail is short, about ⅓ its body length.
The eyes are small, with dark brown irises.
The hind toes are long and partially webbed, with weakly curved 4 mm-long, nonretractable claws.
The front claws are strongly curved, partially retractable, and measure 6 mm in length.
The feet are moderately long and more robust than in other members of the genus.
The skull is relatively coarse and massive, more so than the mink's, with a strong, but short and broad facial region and strongly developed projections.
In comparison to other similarly sized mustelids, the polecat's teeth are very strong, large and massive in relation to skull size.
Sexual dimorphism in the skull is apparent in the lighter, narrower skull of the female, which also has weaker projections.
Feeding
The European polecat's diet consists of mouse-like rodents, followed by amphibians and birds. Its most frequent prey item in the former Soviet Union is the common vole and rarely the red-backed vole. In large river floodlands, water vole are common prey. In spring and winter, amphibians (especially grass frogs and green toads) become important food items. Selective predation on male frogs by the polecat decreases the occurrence of polyandry in frog populations. However, because amphibians have little calorific value, the polecat never grows fat on them, no matter how many it consumes. In Central Europe, the diet in winter months is dominated by birds includingquail, grey partridges, grouse, chickens, pigeons and passerines. Seasonal changes in the activity rhythm is synchronised with the activity of the main prey. Some species only rarely preyed upon by the polecat include European hedgehogs, asp vipers, grass snakes and insects. In the British Isles, it commonly kills brown rats and European rabbits, and is capable of killing larger prey, such as geese and hares. One polecat was reported to frequently wait at a riverbank and catch eels, which it took back to its burrow. The polecat feeds on eels mostly during lengthy frosts when eels, unable to breathe air at regular intervals because of the ice, congregate at breathing holes. Unlike the stoat and weasel, the polecat readily eats carrion, including that of large ungulates. The European polecat hunts its prey by stalking it and seizing it with its canine teeth, killing the animal with a bite to the neck. This killing method is instinctive, but perfected with practice. The polecat sometimes caches its food, particularly during seasonal gluts of frogs and toads. Sometimes, the polecat does not kill these, but bites them at the base of the skull, thus paralyzing them and keeping them fresh for later consumption. Though they are normally shy around humans, naturalist Alfred Brehm in his Brehms Tierleben mentions an exceptional case in which three polecats attacked a baby in Hesse. During the winter period, when live prey is scarce, the European polecat may raid beehivesand feed on the honey.
Diseases
The European polecat may suffer from distemper, influenza, the common cold and pneumonia. Occasionally, it is affected by malignant tumours and hydrocephaly. It commonly has broken teeth and, on rarer occasions, fatal abscesses on the jaw, head and neck. In mainland Europe, it is a carrier of trichinosis, leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis andadiaspiromycosis. Incidences of polecats carrying rabies are high in some localized areas.
Breeding
Polecats are mainly polygynous, which means having more than one mating partner. Polecats breed once a year, around May or June, producing litters of 5 – 8 kits after a gestation period of 40 – 42 days. Kits are born with white, silky fur and huddle together in cold weather while in hot weather they lay spread apart. The kits are weaned after 4 weeks and fully grown in around 3 months. The average life span of a polecat is 5 years.
