European polecat European polecat The European polecat ("Mustela putorius") – also known as the common ferret, black or forest polecat, or fitch (as well as some other names) – is a species of mustelid native to western Eurasia and north Morocco. It is of a generally dark brown colour, with a pale underbelly and a dark mask across the face. Occasionally, colour mutations, including albinos and erythrists, occur. Compared to minks and other weasels – fellow members of the genus "Mustela" – the polecat has a shorter, more compact body; a more powerfully built skull and dentition; is less agile; and it
European polecat mentions an exceptional case in which three polecats attacked a baby in Hesse. During the winter period, when live prey is scarce, the European polecat may raid beehives and feed on the honey. The polecat may be preyed upon by red foxes, and both wild and domestic cats. Although the polecat can coexist with the European mink (though there is one record of a polecat attacking a European mink and dragging it to its burrow), it suffers in areas where the invasive American mink also occurs, as the latter species feeds on the same mammalian species as the polecat much