Fishers have often been referred to as polecats here in Canada. They are like pine martins on steroids. They are not to be underestimated. Their cries are blood curdling.
I've seen a Polecat 2023 in my gardens in Seaford East Sussex. I used to keep Ferrets and know the difference. I've seen it running up and down my lawns playing in the sun, doing backflips and behaving like the Ferret. The 'bandit' markings on its face give it away, plus I think it lives in one of the flint walls around the house. I've seen it quite often and it does sterling service in eliminating rats which hang around my numerous bird feeders. I love it living here.
There's a very big difference between the 2 species as well 🤣 It's like calling a mink a polecat Yes they can all hybridise together, but, definitely different animals in both behaviour and vocalisations.
I bloody saw a dead one this morning actually stopped because I thought it was a ferret and someone’s pet. Was so surprised when I realised it was a polecat gutted it wasn’t alive tho, I live in Worcestershire
I am no expert. But today I gave a small teaching how to recognize these animals. It's the same problem here in the Netherlands. People don't know how or what exactly it is. They can be very/ extremely shy. But if you have seen them (just like me) you are so much luck. I have also seen a stoat and an otter crossing my path. Otter is bigger and the one I saw, wasn't that shy. If you see one... enjoy the moment. Be still and very qiuet. People have to know they are a fine pest control. And to save your chicken or rabbit... invest a bit of money for a better fence/ protection.
Kind of true, but false at the same time. They are very closely related but have 2 very separate scientific names. Ferrets split from polecats a while ago, they are half the size of a polecat and have different vocalisations. They can hybridise though and produce hybrid young as well. Mink, ferret, and polecat are very closely related. But they are definitely not the same animal. And a polecat is not a undomesticated ferret.
@rhodri Thomas, if you would like to see the difference, I have a ferrets and a domesticated polecat, both the exact same age. You'll see for you self lol. 5 week ferret 300g 5 week polecat just over 700g Full grown ferret 900g-1100g Polecat 2500g - 3000g As I say, a very BIG difference
The ancestor of the ferret is the European polecat, they are technically the same species, ferrets aren't really a sub-species of the polecat as ferret are shaped by humans, European polecats are fully shaped by mother nature, but hold the name furo in the scientific name just to state they are domestic stock not wild stock. A European polecats in the wild is call just that, wild. A ferret in the wild is called a feral. Like with rock doves(wild), domestic racing pigeons(feral). Giving domestic animals scientific name is just a accepted way of placing them apart from the wild evolved ancestors.
The speed that the wild population is now spreading is incredible. I saw a roadkill polecat this summer just outside llangollen....no big surprise there really. However I have now seen four roadkill polecats on the m53 in Wirral between clatterbrige and Hooton, still amazed they are now wild in wirral area. Anybody else seen them close to built up areas?
I had a polecat as a pet, bought him off a farmer. I weaned him off raw mince and fed him high quality biscuits and cooked meat. I know that some people would feed them fuzzies and pinkies, but I chose not to. He had a lovely temperament. Ferrets are domesticated from polecats.
MY BOY HOBBIE IS A 8 MONTH OLD POLECATE AND HE IS MY EVERY THING,BUT HE IS NOT 100% DAMESTICATED BUT HE ALLOWED ME TO BATH HIM 20 MINUTES AFTER I GOT BACK HOME WITH HIM TODAY,AND HE HAS BIT ME BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS NEVER SMACK YOUR PET OR YOU WILL NOT GAIN THERE TRUST OR A BOND BECAUSE THEY DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT FORGET,THEY HAVE INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITIES AND ARE VERY INTELEGENT AND ALSO THEY CAN RECONISE PEOPLE,SO WHEN HE BIT ME I JUST REMAINED CALM AND PUSHED HIS MOUTH OPEN SAYING NO IN A LOW TONE,HE KNOWS WHAT NO MEANS AS HE LET GO,I WANT HIM TO NEVER BE SCARED OF ME OR ANY ONE, I WANT HIM TO BE HAPPY AND CONTENT WITH ME AND MY FAMILY,I HAVE NO CHILDREN SO HOBBIE HAS 100% OF ME TO HIM SELF,I LOVE HIM ALREADY NO JOKE..
1 shown here was a mink 🤣 but some are polecats. Most are actually polecat ferret hybrids / polecat mink hybrids or ferret mink hybrids, in the wild now. On the odd occasion you do get proper polecats, I should know, I have a wild one on rescue at the moment.
Maddie’s Exotics polecat are wild ferret far stronger than ferrets better vision stronger bite faster ferrets have been domesticated like dogs.dogs wild version is wolf ferrets wild version is polecat
People in Wales know them I'm surprised other people don't I had them as pets vicious smelly buggers and where I used to go swimming in the river taff there where wild ones we used to feed McDonalds they would grab a bit of burger and shoot back into the undergrowth
Screw these things. They massacred my defenceless pet chickens. Managed to find their nest by setting up cameras outside the coop with my Dad. Had to audacity to make a hole right by our chickens. Went to the hole the next morning. Dad flashed a torch down the hole and you could see the end of a tail. Odd considering it wasn't that deep and you could defiantly see the end of a tail. Dad threw petrol and oil down the hole and set fire to it. Probably one of the most satisfying thing I have done. Dont care that these thing are endangered. These things brutally killed my first chicken I had since I was 9 and 3 others. Still upsets me to this day. At least will still have 4 left.
It’s a wild animal, it has to eat and survive as well, also I would have just called wildlife trusts or something to relocate it, burning it alive when it was merely trying to survive itself is an absolute cunt move. Sorry for the Chickens and all but still burning it was unnecessary, plus keeping Chickens mean making sure they have a secure enough coop, should’ve secured it better I suppose.
Fishers have often been referred to as polecats here in Canada. They are like pine martins on steroids. They are not to be underestimated. Their cries are blood curdling.
Reason I'm watching this, I actually saw a polcat this morning. Was great to see 😀
I've seen a Polecat 2023 in my gardens in Seaford East Sussex. I used to keep Ferrets and know the difference. I've seen it running up and down my lawns playing in the sun, doing backflips and behaving like the Ferret. The 'bandit' markings on its face give it away, plus I think it lives in one of the flint walls around the house. I've seen it quite often and it does sterling service in eliminating rats which hang around my numerous bird feeders. I love it living here.
Got one that's been living under my shed I'm in Surrey so it maybe it's an escapee, solved my rat problem tho
Look at that face of theirs!!! They are so cute!!!
I saw one just outside Kirby Stephen in Westmorland a couple of years ago; illuminated by my headlights one night...
I'd think most people would mistake them for ferrets 'cause they are basically the same species.
Ferrets are domesticated polecats.
Polecat- M. putorius
Domestic Ferret- M. putorius furo
Raccons are not weasels
And not a very bright one.
TaiFerret ferrets are domesticated pole cats wdym basically
Nope, sort of but nope
There's a very big difference between the 2 species as well 🤣
It's like calling a mink a polecat
Yes they can all hybridise together, but, definitely different animals in both behaviour and vocalisations.
I bloody saw a dead one this morning actually stopped because I thought it was a ferret and someone’s pet. Was so surprised when I realised it was a polecat gutted it wasn’t alive tho, I live in Worcestershire
There in Cheshire too. I saw one as a kid on a country lane on the way back from school
I am no expert. But today I gave a small teaching how to recognize these animals. It's the same problem here in the Netherlands. People don't know how or what exactly it is. They can be very/ extremely shy. But if you have seen them (just like me) you are so much luck. I have also seen a stoat and an otter crossing my path. Otter is bigger and the one I saw, wasn't that shy.
If you see one... enjoy the moment. Be still and very qiuet.
People have to know they are a fine pest control. And to save your chicken or rabbit... invest a bit of money for a better fence/ protection.
Here in England mustelids are making such a comeback. It's very heartening to see
A ferret is a domesticed polecat
Kind of true, but false at the same time. They are very closely related but have 2 very separate scientific names. Ferrets split from polecats a while ago, they are half the size of a polecat and have different vocalisations.
They can hybridise though and produce hybrid young as well.
Mink, ferret, and polecat are very closely related.
But they are definitely not the same animal. And a polecat is not a undomesticated ferret.
@rhodri Thomas, if you would like to see the difference, I have a ferrets and a domesticated polecat, both the exact same age. You'll see for you self lol.
5 week ferret 300g
5 week polecat just over 700g
Full grown ferret 900g-1100g
Polecat 2500g - 3000g
As I say, a very BIG difference
@@boziewz6125 that's mint didn't know they were bigger I've got 2 ferrets
It’s like wolves and dogs
The ancestor of the ferret is the European polecat, they are technically the same species, ferrets aren't really a sub-species of the polecat as ferret are shaped by humans, European polecats are fully shaped by mother nature, but hold the name furo in the scientific name just to state they are domestic stock not wild stock. A European polecats in the wild is call just that, wild. A ferret in the wild is called a feral. Like with rock doves(wild), domestic racing pigeons(feral). Giving domestic animals scientific name is just a accepted way of placing them apart from the wild evolved ancestors.
Me to in Tamworth staffs ran across the road
Got two myself. I love my furry ferrets.
They make the best pets!
The speed that the wild population is now spreading is incredible. I saw a roadkill polecat this summer just outside llangollen....no big surprise there really. However I have now seen four roadkill polecats on the m53 in Wirral between clatterbrige and Hooton, still amazed they are now wild in wirral area. Anybody else seen them close to built up areas?
Just saw one in Twickenham, London!!
I had a polecat as a pet, bought him off a farmer. I weaned him off raw mince and fed him high quality biscuits and cooked meat. I know that some people would feed them fuzzies and pinkies, but I chose not to. He had a lovely temperament. Ferrets are domesticated from polecats.
I wonder if they could mate with mink or pine martin. I also wonder what their athletic ability compared to mink.
MY BOY HOBBIE IS A 8 MONTH OLD POLECATE AND HE IS MY EVERY THING,BUT HE IS NOT 100% DAMESTICATED BUT HE ALLOWED ME TO BATH HIM 20 MINUTES AFTER I GOT BACK HOME WITH HIM TODAY,AND HE HAS BIT ME BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS NEVER SMACK YOUR PET OR YOU WILL NOT GAIN THERE TRUST OR A BOND BECAUSE THEY DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT FORGET,THEY HAVE INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITIES AND ARE VERY INTELEGENT AND ALSO THEY CAN RECONISE PEOPLE,SO WHEN HE BIT ME I JUST REMAINED CALM AND PUSHED HIS MOUTH OPEN SAYING NO IN A LOW TONE,HE KNOWS WHAT NO MEANS AS HE LET GO,I WANT HIM TO NEVER BE SCARED OF ME OR ANY ONE, I WANT HIM TO BE HAPPY AND CONTENT WITH ME AND MY FAMILY,I HAVE NO CHILDREN SO HOBBIE HAS 100% OF ME TO HIM SELF,I LOVE HIM ALREADY NO JOKE..
lovely fuzzies
THINK SAUSAGE
If it's bigger, it could also be a marten.
1 shown here was a mink 🤣 but some are polecats. Most are actually polecat ferret hybrids / polecat mink hybrids or ferret mink hybrids, in the wild now.
On the odd occasion you do get proper polecats, I should know, I have a wild one on rescue at the moment.
eu polecat cant breed mink in this country mink are all american escapees
Common in barnsely as hunting pets for rabbit's in the 70s 80s
I've always adopted European polecats
I just love pole cats
So pole cats are ferrets??
Jack Hepo idk they look just like them and make the same noises though, weird asl.
Maddie’s Exotics polecat are wild ferret far stronger than ferrets better vision stronger bite faster ferrets have been domesticated like dogs.dogs wild version is wolf ferrets wild version is polecat
Jack Hepo ferrets are domestic pole cats
Sort of they are slightly bigger and that colour markings only,ferrets come in variety of colours
Definitely not extinct in my part of Scotland.
We have raccoons.
People in Wales know them I'm surprised other people don't I had them as pets vicious smelly buggers and where I used to go swimming in the river taff there where wild ones we used to feed McDonalds they would grab a bit of burger and shoot back into the undergrowth
Of course you will know one if you fell over one! You would have no face left!
pretty cute...
before they explode the most disgusting smell all around your damn house.
Eelke Westra the smell isn’t that bad
oh so kawai
Snake
Screw these things. They massacred my defenceless pet chickens. Managed to find their nest by setting up cameras outside the coop with my Dad. Had to audacity to make a hole right by our chickens. Went to the hole the next morning. Dad flashed a torch down the hole and you could see the end of a tail. Odd considering it wasn't that deep and you could defiantly see the end of a tail. Dad threw petrol and oil down the hole and set fire to it. Probably one of the most satisfying thing I have done. Dont care that these thing are endangered. These things brutally killed my first chicken I had since I was 9 and 3 others. Still upsets me to this day. At least will still have 4 left.
It's a wild animal. What do you expect?
It’s a wild animal, it has to eat and survive as well, also I would have just called wildlife trusts or something to relocate it, burning it alive when it was merely trying to survive itself is an absolute cunt move.
Sorry for the Chickens and all but still burning it was unnecessary, plus keeping Chickens mean making sure they have a secure enough coop, should’ve secured it better I suppose.