The Polecat is a secretive and rare mammal that can only be found in the West Midlands, the Lake District and in a few parts of the north and the south of England. It can be found on farms, but prefers to live in woodlands, forests and wetlands. It is a member of the Weasel family and is also called a ‘foul marten’ because it ejects a strong smelling scent to mark its territory or when it feels threatened.

The Polecat has a long slender body that is a dark brown colour on top with a longish, furry dark brown tail. The sides of the body and belly are a lighter brown or yellowish colour. It has white fur between the eyes and ears and white fur on either side of its pinkish nose. It has a broad head and its ears are short and rounded.

Polecats sleep in abandoned rabbit burrows or under tree roots in the day and do most of their hunting at night. They stalk their prey and then kill it very quickly by biting it through the neck. Polecats do not hibernate, but become less active in the cold winter months. On occasions they may even hunt for food in the day during winter.