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The Polecat Project

The polecat Mustela putorius L.1758, is native to Britain. It is not actually a cat, but is part of the weasel family, the Mustelidae. It has a long body and short legs, with dark fur, especially dark on the legs and tail. The underbody fur is pale yellow, making its body slightly lighter in appearance, especially in its winter coat.
The animal has a very striking set of facial markings which consist of light and dark fur giving the impression of a bandit's mask.

Polecats are bigger than stoats or weasels, but are smaller than otters or martens. Sizes of adult males vary from 45-60 cm. long (females are slightly smaller). Although mainly carnivorous, the polecat has a varied diet consisting of voles, mice, rabbits and rats. It eats nearly as many amphibians as the otter and the mink and can produce a distinctive stockpile, or pantry, of dead frogs on the river bank.

It is a nocturnal animal, which breeds in March-April. The female makes a nest in trees, piles of stones or heaps of hay, lining it with feathers, hairs and dry herbs. She raises her young with no assistance from the male. The young are born blind and hairless, they open their eyes at about 5 weeks old.

Polecats can live in all kinds of habitat, but show a marked preference for wet areas and the banks of rivers. They are common near human habitation, especially liking farm buildings, dry stone walls, field edges, marshland and woodpiles.

Polecats arrived in Britain after the last Ice-Age, whereupon they populated Cheshire and most of the U.K. With the advent of estate-managed game-keeping in the 19th century, the number of polecats declined to a small population in Western Wales. During and between the two World Wars, and following the population explosion of the rabbit during the 1950's, the polecat began to increase and made a healthy resurgence across Wales. It has recently made headway in the Border counties and is beginning to re-colonise England. Cheshire lies on the Welsh border and as a consequence, polecats have been noticed in our county for a number of years, and they seem to be increasing in number.

In some parts of England there are populations of feral ferrets, the result of accidental or intentional releases of domestic ferrets. The ferret is a domesticated descendent of the polecat, and the two will readily hybridise. In some areas there are numbers of hybrid polecat-ferrets. These can sometimes be distinguished from the pure polecat by being lighter in colour, having white patches on the chin or throat, or having a less distinct “mask”. However sometimes even the experts find it difficult to distinguish between a hybrid and a pure polecat.The reappearance of this predatory species within Cheshire will have impacts on the management by farmers of poultry, livestock and estate game management. Hopefully, a way can be found for them to co-exist with the polecat. Although polecats will take poultry they also hunt rabbits and rats, which must win them some friends in the rural community.

The Cheshire Wildlife Trust has been monitoring sighting of both the pure species and of the feral hybrid in Cheshire for some years. This work is to continue. The information from these sightings is soon to be compiled in conjunction with a national survey of live-trappings by The Vincent Wildlife Trust. To aid our own local survey we are very keen to receive sighting details from anyone who thinks they may have seen either a pure polecat or a hybrid polecat. If you think you have seen one of these animals please do contact us, by phoning 01270 610180 or by email. Thank you.