Polecat is a common name for several mustelid species in the

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Carnivora and subfamilies Ictonychinae and Mustelinae. Polecats do not form a single taxonomic rank (i.e. clade). The name is applied to several species with broad similarities to European polecats, the only polecat species native to the British Isles, such as having a dark mask-like marking across the face. In the United States, the term ''polecat'' is sometimes applied to the black-footed ferret, a native member of the Mustelinae. In Southern United States dialect, the term ''polecat'' is sometimes used as a colloquial nickname for the skunk, which is only distantly related to mustelids. Despite their common name, polecats are more closely related to dogs than cats, which is why they are placed in the suborder Caniformia.

Taxonomy

According to the most recent taxonomic scheme proposing eight subfamilies within Mustelidae, polecats are classified as: Subfamily Ictonychinae *Genus '' Ictonyx'' ** Striped polecat, ''I. striatus'', (native to Central, Southern, and sub-Saharan Africa) ** Saharan striped polecat, ''I. libycus'' (Sahara) *Genus ''

Vormela ''Vormela'' is a genus of mustelid which contains the marbled polecat ''(Vormela peregusna)'', and at least one extinct species. The oldest record of the genus dates to the Villafranchian of Bulgaria, where fossils of '' Vormela petenyii'' have b ...

'' ** Marbled polecat, ''V. peregusna'' (Southeastern Europe to western China) Subfamily Mustelinae *Genus '' Mustela'' **

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 on the IUCN Red List because of its wide distrib ...

, ''M. eversmannii'' (Central and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia) ** American polecat (Black-footed ferret) ''M. nigripes'' (Southwest United States) ** European polecat, ''M. putorius'' (Western Eurasia and North Africa) File:Ictonyx striatus - Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria - Genoa, Italy - DSC02633.JPG, Striped polecat File:Wild steppe polecat.jpg, Steppe polecat File:Mustela nigripes 2.jpg, Black-footed ferret, the “American polecat” File:Polecat in denmark.jpg, European polecat File:Marbled polecat.jpg, Marbled polecat

References

{{Animal common name Mustelinae Mammal common names