Field Guide
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Polecat
Mustela putorius
Not yet photographed by the community
Dark masked mustelid; recovering after near-extinction.
Species Profile
UK Red List (Near Threatened nationally, declining); legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
- Lifespan
- 5–8 years in the wild; up to 14 years in captivity
- Size & Weight
- 35–45 cm body length; 0.6–2.0 kg, with males larger than females
- Habitat
- Woodlands, hedgerows, grasslands, wetland margins, and farmland with good cover and nearby water sources.
- UK Distribution
- Found across Wales and the English Midlands, with scattered populations in southern England and established populations in East Anglia and East England. Largely absent from northern England, Scotland, and Ireland. Resident year-round.
- Diet
- Carnivorous; hunts small mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates; occasionally takes game birds and rabbits.
- Prey
- Rabbits, hares, voles, shrews, rats, frogs, insects, beetles, earthworms, and ground-nesting birds
- Predators
- Golden eagles, buzzards, owls, foxes, and occasionally domestic dogs; young kits vulnerable to stoats and larger mustelids
- Mating Season
- March to May
- Breeding
- Single annual litter of 5–10 kits born April–June; gestation period approximately 40–43 days; kits weaned at 12–14 weeks and independent by autumn
- Behaviour
- Solitary and nocturnal, with females defending territories around dens or burrows. Males range more widely and may overlap multiple female territories. They are bold hunters with strong musty odour used for marking territory.
- •The polecat is closely related to the ferret, which was domesticated from polecats for rabbit hunting
- •Their pungent anal musk can be discharged defensively and serves as territorial marking
- •Polecat populations declined severely through the 20th century due to persecution and habitat loss, but have recently shown signs of recovery
- •They are the only native mustelid in the UK to have been nearly hunted to extinction, historically persecuted as threats to poultry and game birds
- •Recent sightings suggest polecat range is expanding northwards and eastwards from traditional strongholds
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