Polecat

Over two weeks since my last one. Not good! So, anyway. There have been a lot of bats in my life recently, both professionally and personally. I survey bats for a living (amongst other things), and I’ve started to survey bats in my own time for an official voluntary scheme. This scheme involves surveying bats in a pre-assigned 1km square twice in July, using a bat detector to find pipistrelle and noctule bats. I’ve done it once already and will be doing my 2nd and last walk before the end of the month. However, the most interesting thing I found on my walk as I surveyed the bats was not a bat but rather some roadkill…

What: Polecat Mustela putorius Linnaeus 1758

When: 12th July 2020

Where: Woodford, Greater Manchester, UK

Who saw it? Me

How was it recorded? I submitted the record to iRecord where it was confirmed as a Polecat.

Is it bigger than a blackbird? Yes, it would eat blackbirds given half a chance. Ferret sized (there’s a reason for that!).

What is it? A mammal in the mustelid family, which includes, stoats, weasels, otters etc. And like those it is long and thin, but bulkier than weasels. They are black and tan in colour with a raccoon-like mask on their face. They are essentially the wild form of the ferret (or is it that a ferret is a domesticated polecat?) and the two readily inter-breed to form hybrids, which are often indistinguishable from pure polecats without genetic testing (which does give my sighting doubt as a pure polecat, despite the confirmation). They were almost hunted to extinction in the UK but have recovered since the First World War to an extent, they are still persecuted despite now being fully protected however. They feed predominately on rabbits in summer and on rats in the winter but are notorious opportunists so will prey on many other species including domestic ones, often bringing them into conflict with humans. They also stink, like most mustelids they create a scent to mark territory, the polecat’s is particularly pungent apparently!

A fact I have learned about this species: To be honest most of the above is new to me as polecats are a lesser known mammal in the UK. But, it was once known in Britain as a ‘foulmart’ due to it’s pungent smell. The pole in polecat come from French, no idea where the cat bit comes from as it isn’t a cat nor looks like one!

Is it charismatic in my opinion? No idea, I’ve never seen a live one. I would guess so as most long thin mustelids are full of personality.