Roadkill Polecat or hybrid?

[Rob_D]

Apologies to anyone of a sensitive nature! I came across this roadkill on the main road this arvo. Anyone like to suggest if this is a Ferret hybrid or pure Polecat? It was a young male about 45-50 cm tip-to-tail.





Sadly lots of the kits get killed on the road this time of year.

[ChrisJB]

That is a very dark (and sadly very dead) critter. That to me looks like the real McCoy. Yes, a Polecat. I wish we had them in our area!

Regards, Chris

[mh68]

It does look very convincing to me too...

Mark H

[ellen h]

Definitely a Polecat!

[RobSutton]

The colouration looks good for a Polecat but I don't think you can entirely rule out a "wild colour" ferret or Polecat/ferret from the colour alone.

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by RobSutton

The colouration looks good for a Polecat but I don't think you coan entirely rule out a "wild colour" ferret or Polecat/ferret from the colour alone.

Very true Rob, it's just that each hybrid I have come across, whether in the flesh or in a photo looks a fair bit paler than this, especially in the face.

Regards, Chris

[Rob_D]

Thanks for the replies. I guess DNA is the only way to know if it is really "pure" but actually I am now of the opinion that it does not matter too much.

This is the second roadkill Polecat/hybrid I've found on the same stretch of road. The first was 3 or 4 years ago. It leads me to suspect that there is a regular den site around. Would love to see live ones, so I might try more investigation soon.

Chris, from the 2004-2006 study there are a few Polecats in North Lancashire, though there seems to be a gap to the main populations further South.

http://www.vwt.org.uk/publications/S..._July_2006.pdf

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by ChrisJB

Very true Rob, it's just that each hybrid I have come across, whether in the flesh or in a photo looks a fair bit paler than this, especially in the face.

Regards, Chris

I've picked up one or two round here that I've been pretty certain were Polecat but distribution maps I've seen show them as not being recorded in the Yorkshire Dales - perhaps under-recorded because of the problems of indentification.

[mh68]

Just checked through my books, and the only really positive external ID feature of a true Polecat would be if the dark facial mask extended below the mouth - in hybrids it doesnt. In the case of the pics here though that pointer isnt much use. The only other way of positively finding it`s true indentity apart from DNA would be a detailed skull examination.

Mark H

[paulthomas]

It looks pretty convincing from the photos. Polecats are coming back strongly here in the Midlands. I saw a live one at night a couple of months ago whilst out photographing Badgers and I know someone who recently saw one in daylight. It's certainly worth passing the info on to your county recorder for mammal and maybe also report it here.

[mrs fish]

It does look like my old ferret Eric

Won't the escaped ferrets resort back to Polecat anyway ?

[ChrisJB]

Originally Posted by Rob_D

Thanks for the replies. I guess DNA is the only way to know if it is really "pure" but actually I am now of the opinion that it does not matter too much.

This is the second roadkill Polecat/hybrid I've found on the same stretch of road. The first was 3 or 4 years ago. It leads me to suspect that there is a regular den site around. Would love to see live ones, so I might try more investigation soon.

Chris, from the 2004-2006 study there are a few Polecats in North Lancashire, though there seems to be a gap to the main populations further South.

http://www.vwt.org.uk/publications/S..._July_2006.pdf

Thanks for the Lancs pointer Rob. Earlier this year, I saw what looked like a dead one near Silverdale (N.Lancs), where I believe they have been recorded recently. They certainly used to be found on my doorstep (SE Lancs, in the South Pennines), as I have read in an old local book I have, an account of the smoking out and killing of the last one at the turn of the 20th century. Certainly on the moors and moorland fringe we have the habitat (for the time being anyway!), so I do believe it will only be a matter of time.

Regards, Chris

[Rob_D]

Originally Posted by paulthomas

It looks pretty convincing from the photos. Polecats are coming back strongly here in the Midlands. I saw a live one at night a couple of months ago whilst out photographing Badgers and I know someone who recently saw one in daylight. It's certainly worth passing the info on to your county recorder for mammal and maybe also report it here.

I think you were very lucky to see one, I imagine very few people in England ever have especially as so few are aware of their recent recovery. Do you think Polecats might be attracted by peanuts or other Badger type food? Maybe they are more into jam sandwiches and cheese like Pine Marten?

I will try to contact the county recorder, but I think the study you linked to is now over. Certainly the VWT (which it mentions) is not collecting any more records.

[RobinP]

I found this in April 2006 in Hertfordshire, I've since seen another at the same spot. I think it is a Polecat but am willing to be corrected.

Sorry about the gruesome photo, I have worse!

[mystic meg]

Hi Folks,

I have been lucky enough to hand rear 3 Polecat kits, and i am sorry to say the face on the casualty is too light for a Polecat. If I can get round to getting a photo shot on screen it will convince you I,m sure.

[Rob_D]

Hi Meg,

Please post the pictures if you can, I'd like to get more adept at looking for differences. To me, both the one I found and Robin's look very much like the pure Polecat faces on Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Polecat Project.

In any case, there are surely a few pure Polecats around here, so hopefully one day I'll get a live one!