The polecat is a part of the weasel family

The polecat is 40-45 cm long with an 11-19 cm tail, and it weighs about 1-1,5 kg. The males are distinctly bigger, and can be twice as big as the females.

The polecat has different winter and summer coats. The only similar characteristic between the two coats, is a white undercoat. The winter coat is very white with long brownish black outer hairs. The summer coat seems darker, and is even more brownish black than the winter coat. At the same time, the polecat gets dark hairs around their eyes in the summer, and it looks like, they’re wearing glasses.

The polecat have their young in May/June. They weight about 10 g at birth and are both naked and blind. At first they will get a fair thin coat, which will be replaced by their first winter coat. They will be able to see from 4 weeks of age, and by 2-3 months they are able to take care of themselves.

The polecat in Scandinavia

There have probably been polecats in Scandinavia for thousands of year. However today, you will only find in the wild in Denmark, southern Sweden and southern Finland. It’s not known wether the polecat lives in Norway, but there have been sightings in the southeastern Norway close to the Swedish border.

Polecats will usually live in forests, but will also hang around human residential areas. Polecats are not attracted to water, like for example the mink. It would usually hang out in and abandoned rabbit or fox den, or under a pile of leaves, rocks and branches. A polecat home is organized with a sleeping area and a side hallway used as a toilet.

The polecat is a predator

99% of what the polar eats is from animals, and they will very rarely eat anything plant-based. Usually they eat other mammals like bunnies, small rodents, but also birds and amphibians. It will even eat insects, fish and reptiles, if they have the opportunity.

The polecat is nocturnal, but k

Ilderen er fortrinsvis et nataktivt dyr, men kan også opleves om dagen. Ilderens fødejagt foregår dog hovedsageligt om natten og en natlig jagttur kan godt strække sig over nogle kilometer.

Ilderen og mennesket

Ilderen har været efterstræbt af mennesker på grund af dens pels. Mange damer har haft en ilder-pels om halsen. Ilderens pels er dog meget strid og stiv og egentlig ikke noget særlig fint pelsværk. I dag findes ilderen som farmdyr på grund af dens pels.

Tamformen af ilderen, fritten, har været brugt til jagt på rotter og kaniner og bruges faktisk stadig til dette formål.

Gennem de sidste år er det blevet mere og mere almindeligt at holde ilderen som kæledyr. Ikke længere blot tamformen, men også vildtformen. Ildere med megen menneskekontakt kan blive meget tamme. Man skal blot huske, at ilderen er meget aktiv og fyldt med energi, og har behov for megen plads.