32 Facts About European polecat

European polecat, known as the common polecat, black polecat, or forest polecat, is a species of mustelid native to western Eurasia and North Africa.

The European polecat feeds on small rodents, birds, amphibians and reptiles.

European polecat originated in Western Europe during the Middle Pleistocene, with its closest living relatives being the steppe polecat, the black-footed ferret and the European mink.

European polecat is the sole ancestor of the ferret, which was domesticated more than 2,000 years ago for the purpose of hunting vermin.

In Britain especially, the polecat was persecuted by gamekeepers, and became synonymous with promiscuity in early English literature.

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The oldest modern European polecat fossils occur in Germany, Britain and France, and date back to the Middle Pleistocene.

The European polecat is not as maximally adapted in the direction of carnivory as the steppe polecat, being less specialised in skull structure and dentition.

Morphological, cytological and molecular studies confirm the European polecat is the sole ancestor of the ferret, thus disproving any connection with the steppe polecat, which was once thought to have contributed to the ferret's creation.

Ferret and European polecat are similar in both size and portions, to the point that dark-coloured ferrets are almost indistinguishable from their wild cousins, though the ferret's skull has a smaller cranial volume, and has a narrower postorbital constriction.

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 European polecat's 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.

The European polecat's running gait is not as complex and twisting as that of the mink or stoat, and it is not as fast as the mountain weasel, stoat or least weasel, as it can be outrun by a conditioned man.

Winter fur of the European polecat is brownish black or blackish brown, the intensity of which is determined by the colour of the long guard hairs.

Unlike the steppe polecat, the European polecat has a much more settled way of life, with definite home ranges.

Each European polecat uses several den sites distributed throughout its territory.

European polecat is a seasonal breeder, with no courtship rituals.

However, because amphibians have little calorific value, the European polecat never grows fat on them, no matter how many it consumes.

One European polecat was reported to frequently wait at a riverbank and catch eels, which it took back to its burrow.

European-steppe polecat hybrids are very rare, despite their sympatry in several areas.

European polecat is widespread in the western Palaearctic to the Urals in the Russian Federation, though it is absent from Ireland, northern Scandinavia, and much of the Balkans and eastern Adriatic coast.

In Britain, the European polecat was regarded as a serious poultry predator prior to the introduction of wire netting, therefore eliminating it was considered the only option to protect stock.

European polecat is present in all of France's territories, excepting Corsica, and has been in a state of decline for several decades.

In Drome, for example, European polecat populations have been decreasing since 1975, and have disappeared in 27 communes in Isere.

The southern border of the European polecat's range starts in the west of the Danube's mouth and extends eastward along the coast of the Black Sea reaching the mouth of the Dnepr, from which it moves back from the shore of the Azov Sea and, along it, goes to the mouth of the Don.

The European polecat is absent from the Saratov steppes of Transvolga, instead being encountered only in the extreme lower Bolshoy and Maly Irgiz Rivers.

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European polecat hunting was once a favourite sport of the Westmorland dalesmen and the Scots, who hunted them at night in midwinter.

However, the majority of European polecat deaths caused by humans have been accidental, having mostly been caused by steel traps set for rabbits.

European polecat is a valuable fur bearer, whose pelt is more valuable than the steppe polecat's.

One disadvantage of European polecat skin is its unpleasant odour, which is difficult to remove.

The European polecat was first commercially farmed for its fur in Great Britain during the 1920s, but was only elevated to economic importance in Finland in 1979.

Attempts to tame the European polecat are generally hampered by the adult's nervous and unsociable disposition.

Skulls of a black-footed ferret and European polecat, as illustrated in Merriam's Synopsis of the Weasels of North America.