Roadkill ID please - South Cheshire border

[Dogghound]

Totally the wrong colour for mink which are a deep chocolate brown, the creamy undercoat of this shows its a polecat. Or potentially a feral ferret. Polecats are present in cheshire in decent numbers.

[camo]

Hi Vole Woman

I am sure the carcase is not a Mink because the colour is too light and variable. However whilst it is difficult to make out the body parts i think the head is on the right. I think this is a Ferret crossed with a Polecat as the mask is very indistinct. If it was a genuine Polecat the markings particularly around the head would be clear and distinct, the undercoat is also distinctly yellow and whilst this may be an illusion is a common trait of Ferrets.

Roy

[valleyforge]

I agree that is is definitely not a mink ... and more probably a ferret than a pure polecat.

[vole-woman]

I hadn't thought about the possibility of mongrel mustelids!

Just out of interest, would a mink ever mate with a polecat?

[valleyforge]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

I hadn't thought about the possibility of mongrel mustelids!

Just out of interest, would a mink ever mate with a polecat?

It is believed that the ferret was probably domesticated from the wild European Polecat, and selective breeding over centuries has developed a range of colour and marking variations, including that of what is commonly referred to as a polecat-ferret ... which has markings very similar to that of the wild polecat ancestor.

However, because the Polecat (Mustela putorius) and the Ferret (Mustela putorius furo) are genetically almost the same animal, true hybrids are possible too in those areas where wild polecats and escaped/abandoned/feral ferrets are able to interact.

The American Mink (Mustela vision) is however a bit further removed genetically from both the our polecat and the ferret, so although matings may be physically possible, it is not known (by me at any rate) whether or not any offspring would be viable.

It maybe that any hybridization of the mink with either polecat or ferret may produce infertile 'mules' ... that is, similar to what happens with the interbreeding of horses and donkeys.

In support of that possiblity however, I have encountered (both in life and as roadkill) mustelids which outwardly resembled ferrets, but which were in build and size (upwards of a metre long) more akin to a mink. The live animal appeared to have the white chin-spot that is characteristic of mature mink, but unfortunately in the carcase (as in this case), the skull was too badly damaged to be able to make any such determination possible.

Personally, I'd be pleased if such hybridization was occurring, as it is just evolution in progress.

[vole-woman]

That's interesting. I wonder whether they'd be genetically stronger or weaker than the pure-bred animals.

[camo]

Hybrid vigour would suggest the cross breed would be strong, however the interesting argument then is that of an all rounder against a specialist. I wonder if the pure bred species has advantages over a cross bred as they have evolved specific to their circumstances, however the cross breed will have greater ability to operate out of those circumstances.

roy

[vole-woman]

Thanks.

[Rob Chace]

I would say Mink. They vary in colour from a light coffee to almost black. The lighter patches are just a trick of the light.
Regards
Rob

[willing to learn]

Originally Posted by Rob Chace

I would say Mink. They vary in colour from a light coffee to almost black. The lighter patches are just a trick of the light.
Regards
Rob

We use to catch a few with inferior lighter patchy coats these in the fur trade was called cotton pelts and had little value. We was not interested in the pelts.The trapping was only done for conservation reasons.
Regards
Colin