The European polecat: a dark brown mustelid with a pale belly and a dark mask across its face. It is famous for a foul-smelling liquid it uses to mark its territory, and is thought to be the sole wild ancestor of the ferret, domesticated over 2,000 years ago.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inEurope, Asia, Africa
ColoursBrown, Black, Cream
SizeSmall
LengthMales 35–46 cm, females 29–39 cm (body)
WeightMales 1–1.5 kg, females 650–815 g (central Europe)
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for5–8 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Europe and the Rif mountains of Morocco.
- What it eats
- Small rodents, birds, amphibians and reptiles.
- Conservation
- Least Concern (IUCN Red List)
Did you know
The wild ancestor of the ferret, and its Latin name means stench.
It sometimes paralyses prey with a bite to the brain and stores it, still alive, in its burrow.
Its Latin name putorius means "stench", the root of the English word putrid.
Often confused with
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