FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
A marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) is a type of small mammal of the large family of mustelids and the only identified species of the genus Vormela. It is also commonly known as Eurasian marbled polecat or European marbled polecat, probably because of its vast distribution in Europe and Asia. Apart from that, the marbled polecat range also extends to Central and East Asia. The marbled polecat has particular areas as their personal home ranges in their habitats that stretch to a large area. The animal shows aggressive habits when met with another polecat. The polecats socialize only during their breeding season between March to early June. They live by digging their own dens but sometimes might turn the burrows or dens of their prey into their own. The species protects its home range from all types of intruders and can be aggressive even towards human beings if they come closer to their range. Their brown coat was in high demand in fur trades once upon a time, referred to as fitch. At present, this wild mammal group does not have any dedicated management plan for them, and they have become extremely rare. To learn more about the animal, keep on reading these facts.
For similar content, check out the polecat and striped polecat facts too.
A marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) is a type of small mammal of the Mustelidae family.
The marbled polecat of the Carnivora order is a small warm-blooded animal that belongs to the class of mammals or Mammalia.
The marbled polecat is a very rare species and its population is highly scattered. In many parts of its range, the animal has gone completely missing. The northern and the southern borders of its population are gradually receding in size as these animals are decreasing in those parts. Their range has also decreased in the extreme eastern parts of China. Most of the marbled polecat population is currently concentrated in Central Asia, although the animals are highly rare. Israel consists of the largest polecat population. Formerly, a large range was found in Egypt, but it is also considered extremely rare.
The species of marbled polecat are found to occur in the southwestern parts of Europe and their range extends to northern China and Mongolia through Central Asia, the Middle East, Asia Minor, and the Caucasus. In Europe, they are found in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Turkey, southern Ukraine, and the Russian Federation. The marble polecat range in the middle east is widespread. They mostly populate Israel and countries like Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and the northern part of Saudi Arabia. In their eastern range, marbled polecats cover many provinces of China mainly in the western and northern parts and south, west, and central regions of Mongolia. Discrete distribution of the marbled polecats has also been recorded from the northern parts of the Sinai peninsula in Egypt.
They can occur in a large range of habitats; however, the ideal condition for the marbled polecat species is arid desert and semi-desert regions. These animals might also inhabit treeless prairies or steppes, rocky valleys, tropical or subtropical scrublands, meadows, and also moderate hilly regions at a maximum elevation of 9842 ft (3000 m). They generally do not exist above this height like in high mountain ranges. Affected by the modern cause of habitat destruction, the polecats have also learned to adapt to cultivated lands and vegetative areas.
Marbled polecats are generally solitary animals. They show habits of moving alone extensively throughout a large part of their home range and get along with another marbled polecat only during the time of mating.
There is very little data regarding the lifespan of a marbled polecat. A captive marbled polecat had a record of living for eight years and 11 months. In the wild, these small mammals often get infested by ticks or fleas, shortening their lifespan to an average of three years and one month.
The mating system of marbled polecats is not widely discussed. The mating season of the species starts in March and lasts till early June. When ready to mate, they make a long shriek or low growl in a slow rhythm. After mating, the females give birth to four to eight young polecats. The gestation period lasts only for a span of 40 days in captive animals, but in the wild, due to delayed implantation, the gestation period might vary between 8-11 months. Delayed implantation helps the females to choose ideal conditions to give birth to young marbled polecats. The juvenile marbled polecats are mostly born between January and March before the next mating season sets in. The cubs are protected and weaned by the females for a span of 61-68 days. After 68 days, they mature enough, although not fully mature, to hunt and prey in the wild.
In the IUCN Red List, the species of marbled polecat is classified as Vulnerable. A large portion of its population has decreased across the entire extent. Habitat destruction is the main threat that is causing this higher rate of decrease of this small mammal group and will likely continue even in the future. There are no specific predators of marbled polecats that eat them.
The marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) has a body of small built. Their front and hind legs are small in size, and they end in strong, powerful claws. The length of the front claws is greater than the claws of the hind legs. The claws help the animal in hunting as well as for digging. The marbled polecat nose transforms into a short muzzle and they have large noticeable ears on both sides of their small head. The tail consists of dark brown colored long hair with a yellowish band. The forehead has a white patch that stretches up to its ears. An elongated black patch encircles the eyes. The fur of the dorsal side is yellow in color and has reddish spots, while the ventral side is covered with a dark brown fur coat. The white and round noticeable ears stand in contrast to its black head.
The small size of the marbled polecats is the only thing about them that can be considered cute. A marbled polecat is, in general, a short-tempered, aggressive animal that has an extremely wild nature.
Communication in marbled polecats is less as they are not very social. Since their eyesight is weak, the well-developed sense of smell helps them to navigate and locate the prey. When threatened, they release a pungent-smelling odor from the anal glands that are present under their tails. Other forms of communication in the species include short hisses when showing anger, long shriek, grunt, and cries.
The marbled polecat size ranges between 17-26 in (44-65 cm). They are similar in length to ferrets.
Marbled polecats are highly unsocial animals that do not exceed their home range except during reproductive activities. Their speed within that range or in general has not been determined.
The marbled polecat weight of a male and female ranges between 11-25 oz (320-715 g) and 10-21 oz (295-600 g), respectively.
The males and females do not have any particular names. Both of them are collectively known as marbled polecats.
The young marbled polecats are referred to as cubs.
Although their eyesight is weak, marbled polecats have a short muzzle with a keen sense of smell that helps them prey. They have a large variety of diet that mainly consists of small terrestrial animals. These intelligent animal strategize their hunting plan according to their diet. The most common foods included in their diet are mole rats, ground squirrels, house mice, Libyan jirds, voles, Armenian hamsters, and many other small rodents, birds, lizards, and insects.
Overall they are not dangerous as they are very small in size and, as a result, cannot prey on humans. However, they are very aggressive and wild and will attack you if threatened.
No, the animal's aggression and wild habits do not make a good pet out of them.
The terrestrial marbled polecats have 34 teeth. The marbled polecat teeth are very sharp and act as a weapon in capturing its prey.
The species name of the polecats is actually derived from a Ukrainian term. The name peregusna comes from the term perehuznya, which means polecat in Ukraine. The marbled polecats get their name from the dark brown, yellowish band, black, and white marble pattern that is formed by the long hair on its body.
There exists no legal notice regarding the keeping of marbled polecats; however, they are protected in some parts of Europe. There are some instances of trying to pet this animal. From these instances, it has been concluded that a marbled polecat pet might not be as sweet. They have shown habits of sticking to dark places in captivity. It is a highly unsocial species that turns aggressive on human interactions and can even bite. The foul-smelling secretion from the anal glands on threat detection is also a negative feature that needs to be considered before domesticating them.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our European polecat facts and stoat facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable marbled polecat coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.