Polecats

Polecats

Polecat is a common name for mammals in the order 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, being caniform mustelids, polecats are more closely related to dogs than cats, which is why they are placed in the suborder Caniformia.

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