"best quality fitch fur comes from Siberia. The fitch, or European polecat, is a ferret-like animal, and the corsac is a type of fox that is also found in Siberia. However, these furs are less popular because foxes are common to virtually every fur-trading country in the world. The Siberian ushanka is a full fur hat, consisting entirely of warm fur. It is commonly made out of black foxes, red foxes, silver foxes, shadow foxes, blue foxes, brown foxes, raccoons, martens, or black beavers. It covers the top of the head and comes down to also cover the ears and"
"Polecat Polecat is the common name for mammals in the order Carnivora and subfamily Mustelinae. Polecats do not form a single taxonomic rank; the name is applied to several species broadly similar to European polecats, the only species native to the British Isles. In the United States, the term ""polecat"" is sometimes applied to the black-footed ferret, a native member of the Mustelinae, and (loosely) to skunks, which are only distantly related. Despite the name, polecats, being various caniform mustelids, are more closely related to dogs than cats, which is why they belong to the suborder of Caniformiae. In Canada,"
"polecat-mink hybridisation. The winter fur of the European polecat is brownish black or blackish brown, the intensity of which is determined by the colour of the long guard hairs. On the back and flanks, the dark tone is brightened by bright whitish-yellowish, sometimes yellowish-greyish underfur which shows through. The lightly coloured underfur is not equally visible on different parts of the body. On the back and hindquarters, the underfur is almost completely covered by the dark guard hairs. On the flanks, though, the lightening is well defined, and contrasts sharply with the general tone of the back. The throat, lower"
"is used for the polecat's pelt. The word ""fitchet"" is the root word for the North American fisher, which was named by Dutch colonists in America who noted similarities between the two species. In some countries such as New Zealand, the term ""fitch"" has taken on a wider use to refer to related creatures such as ferrets, especially when farmed for their fur. A 2002 article in The Mammal Society's ""Mammal Review"" contested the European polecat's status as an animal indigenous to the British Isles on account of a scarce fossil record and linguistic evidence. Unlike most native British mammals,"
"The polecat is a good swimmer, but its fur is not as well insulated against cold water as the American mink's; while a mink will take 118 minutes to cool in a water temperature of 8 °C, the polecat cools down much faster at 26–28 minutes. Polecats were found in two major phenotypes a typic one and a dark fur one with no black mask. Colour mutations include albinos and erythrists. In typical erythristic individuals, the underfur is usually bright reddish. The guard hairs on the trunk are bright reddish or reddish brown. Black guard hairs are absent on the"
"fitted with muzzles were used to chase rabbits out of their warrens and into waiting nets. Ferret The ferret (""Mustela putorius furo"") is the domesticated form of the European polecat, a mammal belonging to the same genus as the weasel, ""Mustela"" of the family Mustelidae. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur. They have an average length of including a tail, weigh about , and have a natural lifespan of 7 to 10 years. Ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females. Several other Mustelids also have the word ""ferret"" in their common names,"
"Ferret The ferret (""Mustela putorius furo"") is the domesticated form of the European polecat, a mammal belonging to the same genus as the weasel, ""Mustela"" of the family Mustelidae. They typically have brown, black, white, or mixed fur. They have an average length of including a tail, weigh about , and have a natural lifespan of 7 to 10 years. Ferrets are sexually dimorphic predators with males being substantially larger than females. Several other Mustelids also have the word ""ferret"" in their common names, including an endangered species, the black-footed ferret. The history of the ferret's domestication is uncertain, like"
"tail is sometimes used for the making of paintbrushes. One disadvantage of polecat skin, however, is its unpleasant odour, which is difficult to remove. The European polecat was first commercially farmed for its fur in Great Britain during the 1920s, but was only elevated to economic importance in Finland in 1979. It never became popular in the United States and Canada, due to import laws regarding non-native species. It did gain economic importance in the USSR, though. Unlike the stoat and least weasel, the European polecat is easy to breed in captivity. According to Aubyn Trevor-Battye, the European polecat is"
"of males is 80–183 mm and 290–520 mm for females. Males in Siberia may weigh up to 2,050 grams, while females weigh 1,350 grams. One giant polecat from Semirechye had a body length of about 775 mm. Overall, specimens exhibiting gigantism are more common than in the European polecat, and occur primarily in western Siberia, where they likely hybridise with Siberian weasels. The winter fur is soft and tall, with short, dense underfur and long, sparse guard hairs. The fur is generally shorter and not as thick as that of the European polecat. The guard hairs are especially well developed"
"ended. While fishers usually avoid human contact, encroachments into forest habitats have resulted in some conflicts. Despite the name ""fisher"", the animal is not known to eat fish. The name is instead related to the word ""fitch"", meaning a European polecat (""Mustela putorius"") or pelt thereof, due to the resemblance to that animal. The name comes from colonial Dutch equivalent ""fisse"" or ""visse"". In the French language, the pelt of a polecat is also called ""fiche"" or ""fichet"". In some regions, the fisher is known as a ""pekan"", derived from its name in the Abenaki language. ""Wejack"" is an Algonquian"
"weigh anywhere from to , generally, the males being the larger of the two sexes. Their specific coloring varies by location. Generally they are black on the underside, white on the tail, with stripes running from their heads down their backs and on their cheeks. The legs and feet are black. Their skulls are usually around long, and they have unique face mask coloring, often including a white spot on their head, and white ears. These masks are thought to serve as warnings to potential predators or other antagonists. Like other mustelids, the striped polecat is a carnivore. It has"
"is one record of a polecat attacking a mink and dragging it to its burrow. Polecat-mink hybrids are termed ""khor'-tumak"" by furriers and ""khonorik"" by fanciers. Such hybridisation is very rare in the wild, and typically only occurs where European minks are declining. A polecat-mink hybrid has a poorly defined facial mask, yellow fur on the ears, grey-yellow underfur and long, dark brown guard hairs. Fairly large, the males attain the peak sizes known for European polecats (weighing and measuring in length), and females are much larger than female European minks (weighing and measuring in length). The majority of polecat-mink"
"body length; they are blind and deaf. At the age of one week, the kits are covered in silky, white fur, which is replaced with a cinnamon brown-greyish woolly coat at the age of 3–4 wk. Weaning begins at three weeks of age, while the permanent dentition erupts after 7–8 wk. The kits become independent after two to three months. Females are very protective of their young, and have even been known to confront humans approaching too closely to their litters. The European polecat's diet consists of mouse-like rodents, followed by amphibians and birds. Its most frequent prey item in"
"self-explanatory, the origin of the first is unclear. It is possibly derived from the French ""poule"", meaning ""chicken"", likely in reference to the species' fondness for poultry, or it may be a variant of the Old English ""ful"", meaning ""foul"". In Middle English, the species was referred to as ""foumart"", meaning ""foul marten"", in reference to its strong odour. In Old French, the polecat was called ""fissau"", which was derived from the Low German and Scandinavian verb for ""to make a disagreeable smell"". This was later corrupted in English as ""fitchew"" or ""fitchet"", which itself became the word ""fitch"", which"
"extended into the 19th century, though by this time only single individuals were recorded, and usually after gaps of many years. In the Kingdom of Scotland, during the reign of David II, an export duty of 4d. was imposed on each polecat fur trimmer, which was raised to 8d. in 1424. The species held an important place in Scotland's fur markets ; the annual Dumfries Fur Fair (1816–1874) sold 400 polecat pelts in 1829 and 600 in 1831. The following year, a contemporary account described polecat skins as ""a drug on the market"". In 1856, the number of sold pelts"
"on the lower back, though still sparser than those of the European polecat. Contrary to the former, the steppe polecat's guard hairs never completely cover the underfur. The base colour of the winter fur is very light yellowish or whitish-yellowish. The tips of the guard hairs are blackish-brown or brown, forming a frosting effect over the yellow underfur. This frosting is stronger in the middle and lower back, where the guard hairs are denser and longer. The guard hairs on the upper back, the flanks, between the shoulders and along the upper neck are extremely short, thus being lighter in"
"Marbled polecat The marbled polecat (""Vormela peregusna"") is a small mammal belonging to the monotypic genus Vormela within the Mustelinae subfamily. ""Vormela"" is from the German word ""Würmlein"", which means ""little worm"". The term ""peregusna"" comes from ""perehuznya"", which is Ukrainian for polecat. Marbled polecats are generally found in the drier areas and grasslands of southeastern Europe to western China. Like other members of Mustelinae, it can emit a strong-smelling secretion from anal sacs under the tail when threatened. Ranging in length from 29–35 cm (head and body), the marbled polecat has a short muzzle and very large, noticeable ears."
"the term ""polecat"" is sometimes applied to electric utility linemen. According to the taxonomic theory proposing two subfamilies within Mustelidae, the polecats are classified as: Subfamily Mustelinae A more recent classification based on genetic analysis suggests that Mustelidae should be divided into eight subfamilies, one of which is the Mustelinae. Polecat Polecat is the common name for mammals in the order Carnivora and subfamily Mustelinae. Polecats do not form a single taxonomic rank; the name is applied to several species broadly similar to European polecats, the only species native to the British Isles. In the United States, the term ""polecat"""
"The limbs are short and claws are long and strong. While the tail is long, with long hair, the overall pelage is short. Black and white mark the face, with a black stripe across the eyes and white markings around the mouth. Dorsally, the pelage is yellow and heavily mottled with irregular reddish or brown spots. The tail is dark brown with a yellowish band in the midregion. The ventral region and limbs are a dark brown. Females weigh from 295 to 600 g, and males can range from 320 to 715 g. The marbled polecat is found from southeast"
"of ferrets is known as a ""business"", or historically as a ""busyness"". Other purported collective nouns, including ""besyness"", ""fesynes"", ""fesnyng"", and ""feamyng"", appear in some dictionaries, but are almost certainly ghost words. Most ferrets are either albinos, with white fur and pink eyes, or display the typical dark masked sable coloration of their wild polecat ancestors. In recent years fancy breeders have produced a wide variety of colors and patterns. Color refers to the color of the ferret's guard hairs, undercoat, eyes, and nose; pattern refers to the concentration and distribution of color on the body, mask, and nose, as"
"Polecat–ferret hybrid A polecat–ferret hybrid is a hybrid between a wild European polecat (""Mustela putorius"") and a domesticated ferret (""Mustela putorius furo""). Offspring of a such a cross between the two animals typically have a distinct white throat patch, white feet and white hairs interspersed among the fur. It is currently impossible to distinguish pure polecats from hybrids through DNA analysis, as the two forms are too closely related and inter-mixed to be separated through current (2010) genetic methods. The advantages of polecat–ferret hybrids over purebred domestic ferrets include the hybrids' better eyesight, their greater physical capabilities, and their more"
"Black-footed ferret The black-footed ferret (""Mustela nigripes""), also known as the American polecat or prairie dog hunter, is a species of mustelid native to central North America. It is listed as endangered by the IUCN, because of its very small and restricted populations. First discovered by Audubon and Bachman in 1851, the species declined throughout the 20th century, primarily as a result of decreases in prairie dog populations and sylvatic plague. It was declared extinct in 1979 until Lucille Hogg's dog brought a dead black-footed ferret to her door in Meeteetse, Wyoming in 1981. That remnant population of a few"
"banned the offshore commercial hunting of whitecoats and bluebacks on December 30, 1987. Whitecoat A whitecoat is a newborn harp or grey seal with soft, white fur. Newborn seals have yellow fur because of amniotic fluid, and are still wet. When the pup dries, it is called a yellowcoat. The amniotic stain fades and the fur turns white within a few days, and it gets the name whitecoat. First it's called a ""thin whitecoat"", and when it becomes visibly fatter it is a ""fat whitecoat"". Nursing lasts for about 12 days. Cows frequently return to their pups to suckle. While"
"Ocelot The ocelot (""Leopardus pardalis"") is a wild cat native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List as the population is estimated to comprise more than 40,000 mature individuals and is considered stable. Its fur was once regarded as particularly valuable, but legal trade of its fur ceased decades ago. In the United States, it inhabits southern Texas and southern Arizona. The scientific name of the ocelot is ""Leopardus pardalis"". It is a member of the genus ""Leopardus"" of the family Felidae. The species was first"
"smell they emit when threatened. Side effects varied from fever to diarrhea. Other names for the marbled polecat include ""aladzhauzen"" (Turkmen), ""berguznya"" (Kuban), ""chokha"" (Kalmuck), ""fessyah"" (stinky in Arabic), ""abulfiss"" (Arabic), ""hu-yio"" (Chinese), ""myshovka"" (Terek Cossacks dialect), ""pereguznya, pereguzka,"" or"" perevishchik"" (Ukrainian), ""perevyazka"" (Russian), ""perewiaske"" (Polish), ""khaytakis"" (Armenian), ""alaca sansar, alaca kokarca, benekli kokarca"" (Turkish), ""suur-tyshkan"" (Kyrgyz), """" ""marbré"" or """" ""de Pologne"" (French); """" (German), mottled polecat (English), ""sarmatier""; Syrian marbled polecat, and tiger polecat. In some contexts it is called the tiger weasel. The subspecies of ""V. peregusna"" include: Marbled polecat The marbled polecat (""Vormela peregusna"") is a"
"caught with jaw traps located near inhabited burrows. Steppe polecat The steppe polecat (""Mustela eversmanii""), also known as the white or masked polecat, is a species of mustelid native to Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN because of its wide distribution, occurrence in a number of protected areas, and tolerance to some degree of habitat modification. It is generally of a very light yellowish colour, with dark limbs and a dark mask across the face. Compared to its relative, the European polecat, the steppe polecat is larger in size and"
"Polecat–mink hybrid A polecat–mink hybrid, also known as ""khor'-tumak"" by furriers and ""khonorik"" by fanciers, is a hybrid between a European polecat (""Mustela putorius"") and a European mink (""M. lutreola""). Such hybridisation is very rare in the wild, and typically only occurs where European mink are declining. The two species likely began hybridising during the early 20th century, when Northern Europe underwent a warm climatic period which coincided with an expansion of the range of the polecat into the mink's habitat. Polecat–mink hybrids have a poorly defined facial mask, have yellow fur on the ears, grey-yellow underfur and long, dark-brown"
"Steppe polecat The steppe polecat (""Mustela eversmanii""), also known as the white or masked polecat, is a species of mustelid native to Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN because of its wide distribution, occurrence in a number of protected areas, and tolerance to some degree of habitat modification. It is generally of a very light yellowish colour, with dark limbs and a dark mask across the face. Compared to its relative, the European polecat, the steppe polecat is larger in size and has a more powerfully built skull. The steppe"
"to their wild parents. In the British Isles, the polecat historically has had a negative reputation. References to the polecat in early English literature are often vilifying, usually being synonymous with prostitutes and generally immoral people, as is the case in Shakespeare's ""The Merry Wives of Windsor"": ""Out of my door, you witch, you hag, you baggage, you polecat, you runyon!"" In some rural areas, the belief persists that the polecat chews off the ears of sleeping sheep and can paralyse or kill men by jumping on them from behind and biting their necks. However, in some regions, it was"
"in the wild. Ferrets were likely first brought to Britain after the Norman Conquest of England, or as late as the fourteenth century. It is currently impossible to distinguish pure polecats from hybrids through DNA analysis, as the two forms are too closely related and intermixed to be separated through modern genetic methods. Crossbreeds between the two animals typically have a distinct white throat patch, white feet and white hairs interspersed among the fur. Typically, first generation crossbreeds between polecats and ferrets develop their wild parents' fear of humans if left with their mothers during the critical socialisation period between"
"polecat is a nomadic animal which typically only settles in one area until its prey, mainly ground squirrels, are extirpated. It mates from March to May, and generally gives birth to litters of three to six kits, which attain their full growth at the age of two years. It hunts for larger prey than the European polecat, including pikas and marmots. The earliest true polecat was ""Mustela stromeri"", which appeared during the late Villafranchian. It was considerably smaller than the present form, thus indicating polecats evolved at a relatively late period. The steppe polecat's closest relatives are the European polecat"
"they are able to survive on their own. The striped polecat is an aggressive and very territorial animal. It marks its territory with its feces and through an anal spray. The spray serves as a defense against predators, in a similar manner as employed by skunks. The spray, released by anal stink glands, temporarily blinds their adversaries and irritates the mucous membranes, resulting in an intense burning sensation. Before spraying the opponent with this noxious fluid, the striped polecat will often take a deimatic (threat) stance with its back arched, rear end facing the opponent, and tail straight up in"
"Lockheed Martin Polecat The Lockheed Martin Polecat (company designation P-175) was an unmanned aerial vehicle by Lockheed Martin. It was developed by the company's Advanced Development Programs division in Palmdale, California. ""Polecat"" is a colloquialism for a skunk, in an apparent reference to the popular ""Skunk Works"" nickname for the Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs division. Designated P-175, the Polecat was funded internally by Lockheed Martin (as opposed to using United States Government funds) at the beginning of 2005. The prototype was unveiled at the 2006 Farnborough Airshow. It was developed over a period of 18 months. On December 18,"