European Polecat ( Mustela Putorious )

European Polecat ... or mustela putorious!



What do you call cats that sit on poles? Polecats!  Despite their name, the last thing a polecat resembles is a cat. Sure, they are both furry, but a polecat resembles a weasel. Polecats will use abandoned fox or badger holes to house in, instead of making their own. Polecats usually will hang around rabbit burrows, as rabbits are a main food.


Everyone has enemies, polecats included. Just a few of these animals are dangerous to a polecat:
Fox
Wild cats
House cats

Polecats are also in danger because of humans. Hunters kill them for fur, but polecats are not endangered. Unlike weasels, polecats can be tamed, and are easily bred in captivity. In the rural parts of the British Isles, legend has it that polecats chew ears off of sheep,stun men, kill people, and more outrageous things. Polecats may chew ears off rabbits, but they do not chew ears off of sheep!


Polecats can be found in Europe, the British Isles, and various places in France. During mating season, a male polecat will drag a female around by the neck to communicate to her. The female polecat stays pregnant for only 40 days, and litters will be born about May. Kits weigh about 9 grams at birth and are born blind. After 2 months, the kits leave their parents.