Identifying stoats, weasels and their relatives.

The weasel, stoat, pine martin, polecat, mink and otter are all members of the weasel family(mustelidae), and resemble each other in build, colouring  or behaviour. All are very active hunters with long, sinuous bodies and comparatively short legs. They often sit upright on their haunches to look round, and when moving fast they gradually bound along with the back arched. Males are usually upto fifty per cent bigger than females. Confusion is most likely between the squirrel-sized stoat, especially a young one, and the smaller weasel. It is possible to confuse the pine martin, polecat and mink(all three roughly cat size), and perhaps also a swimming mink and swimming otter- the otter is much larger but its size is not obvious in the water. But each has certain distinguishing characteristics, and usually can also be identified from its habitat, although the stoat and weasel are found in most types of the country. The mink and otter are likely to be seen in or near water, the polecat on farmland or lower hill slopes and the pine martin only in remote northern forests or moors in Scotland (although they are rumoured to be back in Wales). The pine martin, polecat and otter are mainly active at night, the stoat, weasel and mink can be seen during the day. Polecat identification can be confusing because of the existence of polecat- ferrets(descendants of feral ferrets), whose colouring can vary from pale to dark.

The mustelidae family

Part three the polecat

Polecats are very similar to ferrets and because so many ferrets have escaped into the wild the blood line has become mixed.Polecats are bigger than stoats, The male`s head and body are about fifteen inches long with a five inch tail,The male is slightly larger than the female.The polecat has lovely creamy underfur that are protected by dark brown guard hairs which look paler during winter,A polecats face has white ear tips with a beautiful dark brown and white mask around their eyes, a pink nose and black eyes.They live mainly on farmland but may also be seen along river banks and marshes and are mainly active at dusk or night.They may come out in the day but only if they are struggling to find food at night and may be seen chasing their prey.Polecats are carnivores and mainly hunt rabbits,voles,mice,frogs and small birds.They will often inhabit abandoned rabbit burrows,They mate between march and the end of may,Courtship can be rough with the male dragging the female by the scruff of the neck.A single litter is born between may and June and will contain up to seven young.Polecats are very sociable animals,The young may be seen playing and mutual grooming with their mother in early august, they are two months old and when they first leave the burrow.The female brings up her young on her own without any help from the male.Polecats are normally solitary animals,They mark their territory by secreting a persistent,foul smelling scent from their pea sized scent glands on the underside,at the base of the tail,This may also be used defensively.Polecats may live for up to five years in the wild and have very few natural predators,But unfortunately quite a few are killed on our roads.