Polecat!!!

Philipcn

I recently spotted a polecat crossing a country road in Cork. They are not a native species, but trust me this was a polecat, not a mink, ferret, otter or weasel. This was 100% wild polecat. It even stopped looked at me and then was gone into the ditch. So there are polecats in ireland(at least one anyway).

Tiercel Dave

There are Polecat-Ferrets which would have a similar degree of colouring to a greater or lesser extent!

Philipcn

The animal I saw was bigger than a regular ferret. Most closely like second from the right in color.... But this animal was wild... It crossed from railway tracks to a road and into a ditch. Trust me thus was a wild polecat... Not a ferret!!!

marlin vs

Could it possibly have been a Pine Marten?

Philipcn

I have never seen a pine martin in the wild, but have on TV & books. They are dark brown with a longer muzzle. This animal was greyish with a rounder muzzle and whiteband on the face. I immediately looked up polecat pics only phone and this is the same (exact same) animal. It was a polecat!!!!

Eddie B

Philipcn wrote: »

I have never seen a pine martin in the wild, but have on TV & books. They are dark brown with a longer muzzle. This animal was greyish with a rounder muzzle and whiteband on the face. I immediately looked up polecat pics only phone and this is the same (exact same) animal. It was a polecat!!!!

Even an expert would find it difficult to distingwish between a polecat and a ferret with polecat colouration!

Now you do know that their are populations of wild ferrets in this country (originating from escapee's and then going on to breed in the wild).
There is no doubt that this is a ferret that has escaped and become wild over time, or actually a ferret that has been bred in the wild!

One things for sure, what you saw was no polecat!!

recedite

Did you measure it's postorbital constriction as it ran past?
From Wiki;

The ferret's skull has a smaller cranial volume than the polecat's, and has a narrower postorbital constriction

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Polecat

A ferret is a domesticated polecat, and a polecat ferret is a feral ferret.

Philipcn

That sounds like a plausible explanation.., if there are indeed wild ferrets in Ireland, then that's what I must have seen. By the way if a ferret is a domesticated polecat and the animal I saw was a wild ferret that makes it a polecat??...lol....

recedite

Philipcn wrote: »

if a ferret is a domesticated polecat and the animal I saw was a wild ferret that makes it a polecat??...lol....

Pretty much... except for the slightly narrower post orbital constriction.
Feral animals tend to revert to a form very similar to the wild ancestor after several generations, surprisingly quickly.

Philipcn

recedite wrote: »

Pretty much... except for the slightly narrower post orbital constriction.
Feral animals tend to revert to a form very similar to the wild ancestor after several generations, surprisingly quickly.

So it's agreed there are feral ferrets aka polecats living in Ireland. I will update wikipedia so.... There's at least one polecat living in Cork!!!!

Eddie B

Philipcn wrote: »

So it's agreed there are feral ferrets aka polecats living in Ireland. I will update wikipedia so.... There's at least one polecat living in Cork!!!!

If what you saw was white would you still see it as a polecat or a ferret?
Even im confused now!!

Tiercel Dave

Ferrets come in a range of colours. Albinos are popular cause they are easily spotted when they appear out of a rabbit hole along the ditch, especially in the evening! Colours include sandy's and 'polecats'. It's a colour, still a ferret, not a Polecat. When ferrets are lost it's usually the 'polecats' that survive, the albinos fall victim to dogs, foxes etc. very quickly. So feral ferrets tend to be 'polecat' coloured but not Polecats! Dave

Philipcn

Eddie B wrote: »

If what you saw was white would you still see it as a polecat or a ferret?
Even im confused now!!

No your grand, I accept it must be a feral ferret. If it were whilte that would simply make the distinction easier!!!... Cheers

Philipcn

Tiercel Dave wrote: »

Ferrets come in a range of colours. Albinos are popular cause they are easily spotted when they appear out of a rabbit hole along the ditch, especially in the evening! Colours include sandy's and 'polecats'. It's a colour, still a ferret, not a Polecat. When ferrets are lost it's usually the 'polecats' that survive, the albinos fall victim to dogs, foxes etc. very quickly. So feral ferrets tend to be 'polecat' coloured but not Polecats! Dave

Tell me do they breed in the wild or are the numbers too dispersed!!

gandalfini22

@ Philipcn sorry for late reply to this thread. did a survey of feral ferrets s few yrs back and would love to hear from you about your record. My email address is ferretsurvey@gmail.com