Polecat ?

Loxley · #1 (**permalink**) 25-09-2010, 02:37 PM

Hello, I live in a very small village surrounded by fields and close to 2 farms.I was driving home today up the lane and saw on the grass verge to my left what looked like a polecat. It was 4 times larger than a ferret standing about 18-20 inches tall, with a longish neck and its body about the size of a big rabbit. It was a very reddish brown colour almost red squirrel colour not dark brown at all. I cant say if it had any white on its face. It was much too big to be a ferret, stoat or weasel. I am in South Derbyshire . Any clues please.?

Loxley · #2 (**permalink**) 25-09-2010, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loxley

Hello, I live in a very small village surrounded by fields and close to 2 farms.I was driving home today up the lane and saw on the grass verge to my left what looked like a polecat. It was 4 times larger than a ferret standing about 18-20 inches tall, with a longish neck and its body about the size of a big rabbit. It was a very reddish brown colour almost red squirrel colour not dark brown at all. I cant say if it had any white on its face. It was much too big to be a ferret, stoat or weasel. I am in South Derbyshire . Any clues please.?

Sorry, twice the size of a Ferret not 4x

STYRBJORN · #3 (**permalink**) 26-09-2010, 05:25 PM

Pine Martin?

Ric

Farplace · #4 (**permalink**) 26-09-2010, 05:35 PM

possible polecat or polecat x ferret hybrid... and by the size of it I would suggest male, because the females are noticably smaller. Shame you didnt get a photo.

Loxley · #5 (**permalink**) 26-09-2010, 11:31 PM

I know the most obvious answer would be Polecat/Ferret cross, BUT , the most striking feature of the animal I saw was the colour,it was red, not dark brown,not black,nor grey. Could it really have been a Marten? There allegedly have been sightings in Staffs which is only 2 miles away from here ,But I am no expert and would welcome all input and views , and indeed questions.
I truly hope to see this creature again although I know the chances are slim,whatever it was, and I will be looking every day !

Loxley · #6 (**permalink**) 26-09-2010, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STYRBJORN

Pine Martin?

Ric

Do you really think it could have been? It was so red in its color,which is why I saw it. Maybe I will never know, but I will be looking for it always.

STYRBJORN · #7 (**permalink**) 27-09-2010, 12:45 AM

Dunno, but martens are making a big comeback in the North and Midlands. Sneaky sodlets have been hiding in trees for years! Pine trees at that.

Ric

Farplace · #8 (**permalink**) 27-09-2010, 07:22 AM

I would like to think that it was a pine marten.... but have you thought about mink? They are mainly black, but you can get them in "red" shades. See this as an example:

Farplace · #9 (**permalink**) 27-09-2010, 07:25 AM

And see this image from google images, as a size comparison: Google Image Result for http://www.corbisimages.com/images/67/E5EE3D86-1B5C-413C-B311-91D2A77BD473/BF001191.jpg

Burko · #10 (**permalink**) 27-09-2010, 07:46 AM

A ferret is a domesticated polecat so there's no real difference in size between the two although ferrets, due to breeding, will come in more varieties of size and certainly in a multitude of colours from albino, sandy, red, silver to the original polecat markings.
It's only likely to be mink if there's water in the very near vicinity.
It just sounds like someone lost a ferret whilst out rabitting.

I don't know if you have a Pine Marten population in Derbyshire, there must be a local wildlife group that would know this.

Speaking as a keeper of ferrets that's what I reckon. Obviously very difficult to say without pictures.