The European marbled polecat is a small mustelid with unique color pattern of yellow and brown lines. Head blackish brown with a broad white line extending from below the ears and over the eye to the chest. Hair dense and short. Ears small and broad. Tail covered with dense hair with off-white circles. Forelimbs larger than hind limbs and claws of fore­limbs very well developed. Anal gland secretes odious smell.

The marbled polecat has a distribution extending from south-east Europe, through Asia Minor, the Middle East, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, to northern China and Mongolia. In Europe, it is found in Serbia and Montenegro, Macedonia, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkish Thrace, and southern parts of Ukraine (has in fact disappeared from most of the Ukraine, only present in the east) and the Russian Federation and the northern Caucasus (the steppe areas, not the mountains). It is also known to be widespread throughout the Middle East, having been recorded from just across the Sinai eastern border in Gaza (Harrison 1968), in Israel/ Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and northern Iraq and northern Saudi Arabia (Ellerman and Morrison-Scott 1951; Harrison 1968; Nader 1991). Saleh and Basuony (1998) report the first records of this species from Egypt, as it was recorded from two localities on the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula (southeast of Bir El Abd and just north of Gabal El Maghara). It occurs from sea level to 2,000 m. It is found up to 3,000 m in the Tien Shan Mountains.

Marbled polecats are found in areas of southeast Europe, throughout the middle east, and in parts of Asia. Its range extends as far north as Russia and as far east as China. This species is rare across its considerable range. In the middle east, Marbled polecats occur in highest densities in Israel.

Biogeographic Regions: palearctic (Native )

4 records. Latest in 1996 (Gebel El-Maghara, North Sinai).

Localized (Sinai). AOO=12.6 km². EOO=182.67 km². 2 locations.

Narrow (China to Greece & Egypt).

Marbled polecats have a unique coat that distinguishes it from its relatives, striped polecats, which are black with white stipes, and European polecats, which are mostly brown. Marbled polecats have a black/brown underbelly and a "marbled" dorsal side composed of black/brown, yellow/orange, and red hair. Marbled polecats have a long furry tail, which is black and yellow in color. A large white band spans across their forehead, and their eyes are covered in a black mask. Their white round ears stand out above their head.

Marbled polecats have short legs and long claws used for digging burrows and for digging out prey. Claws on their front limbs are longer, up to 16.7 mm, than claws on their hind limbs. They have 34 sharp teeth that also assist in capturing prey.  Head-body measurements of this species range from 288 mm to 477 mm, and their tail adds 145 mm to 201 mm to their total length. Male marbled polecats tend to be heavier than females, up to 715 g in Siberia, but mass varies greatly throughout their range. Females are generally 295 to 600 g, while males are 320 to 715g.

Range mass: female 295 g; male 320 to female 600 g; male 715 g.

Range length: 441 to 655 mm.

Sexual Dimorphism: male larger

Head-body length: 29 - 38 cm. Tail length: 15 - 21.8 cm. Wight: 370 - 715 g.

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

As a generalist, the marbled polecat can occupy many habitats within its range. They are commonly found in treeless prairies (steppes) and semi-desert areas. These semi-arid areas are generally located at sea level to 3000 m in elevation. In Yugoslavia, marbled polecats are also found in riparian areas and mountain meadows, and in its southern range in Egypt they can be found in sandy areas with some vegetation (Gorsuch and Lariviere, 2005).

Range elevation: 0 to 2,100 m.

Habitat Regions: terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland ; scrub forest

Other Habitat Features: agricultural ; riparian

The European marbled polecat is mainly thought to inhabit sparsely vegetated desert, semi-desert and steppe habitats.

Marbled polecats are generalists and opportunistic predators (Ben-David, Pellis, and Pellis 1991). Their diet includes a range of rodents such as great gerbils, house mice, ground squirrels, birds, lizards, and even some insects (Gorsuch and Lariviere, 2005; Randall et al., 2005). Predatorial strategy of marbled polecats varies depending on the size and defensiveness of the prey. Marbled polecats approach their prey from the side. They bite small prey on their midsection and large prey on the back of the neck. If their prey struggles, the throat is often targeted.(Ben-David, Pellis, and Pellis, 1991).

Animal Foods: birds; mammals; amphibians; reptiles

Primary Diet: carnivore (Eats terrestrial vertebrates)

Marbled polecats help control rodent populations in some parts of their range (Gorsuch and Lariviere, 2005). This species may also perform communal hunting with red fox. Marbled polecats are often used as hosts by ticks and fleas.

Commensal/Parasitic Species:

• ticks Ixodoidea
• fleas Siphonaptera

Although there are no recorded predators of marbled polecats, they display a defensive/ aggressive posture when threatened. They raise their tail, arch their back, and may bare their teeth while growling or hissing. Marbled polecats, like other mustelids, can release a foul smelling odor from an anal gland, which is possibly used as a defensive mechanism. Many marbled polecats are killed by vehicles.

Marbled polecats have a keen sense of smell, and they emit a strong odor when threatened. In the family Mustelidae, scent marking is the most common form of communication (Wund, 2005). Little information is otherwise available regarding communication of this typically solitary species. When threatened, they emit aggressive hisses. They may also give alarm cries, grunts, and shrieks of submission.

Communication Channels: visual ; acoustic ; chemical

Other Communication Modes: scent marks

Shy and elusive, the European marbled polecat is generally active during the night or at dawn and dusk, with occasional daytime activity having been recorded. Outside of the breeding season it is solitary, using its strong paws and claws to excavate its own burrow in which it spends the day. The European marbled polecat will also use the burrows of other animals, such as large ground squirrels or other rodents.

The European marbled polecat is known to travel up to one kilometer each night in search of food, with its prey including rodents, birds, reptiles and invertebrates. It has poor eyesight, and therefore relies mainly on its sense of smell to locate prey. As well as using the typical musteline killing method of biting the base of the prey’s neck to severe the spinal cord, the European marbled polecat also uses alternative methods depending on the prey type. Small preys are killed with a crushing bite to the chest, whereas defensive preys are typically bitten on the throat.

Mating in wild European marbled polecats takes place from around March to early June. The gestation period is highly variable, lasting 2 months in Russia, and between 8 and 11 months in other areas. This variation in gestation length is due to delayed implantation, in which the female delays the implantation of fertilized eggs in order to time the birth of the young to coincide with favorable environmental conditions. The female European marbled polecat gives birth to between four and eight young and these are cared for solely by the female. The young are reared in a burrow lined with grass and leaves, are weaned at around 50 to 54 days and disperse at around 61 to 68 days old.

Little information is available regarding the lifespan of wild marbled polecats. One captive individual, however, was reported to live for 8 years and 11 months. Marbled polecats infested with ticks and/or fleas may become limited in lifespan.

Range lifespan

Status: captivity: 8.9 (high) years.

Maximum longevity: 8.8 years (captivity) Observations: One wild born specimen was about 8.8 years old when it died in captivity (Richard Weigl 2005).

Although marbled polecats are solitary, this is not the case during the mating season. Little information is otherwise available regarding the mating systems of this species.

Marbled polecats come together in the spring to breed (March-June). In captivity, gestation lasts 40 days, but this is often much longer in the wild; gestation may last 8 to 11 months, as marbled polecats exhibit delayed implantation, waiting for favorable environmental conditions to give birth. Young are born in late January to early March and may stay with their mother into June. Litter sizes range from 4 to 8 cubs. The cubs are be able to eat solid food before their eyes open at 38 to 40 days. At 50 to 54 days the young are weaned and disperse soon after 61 to 68 days. The cubs reach full size around 82 days of age. Predatory behavior occurs at an early age. Females mate during their first spring and are able to carry young the following winter. Males reach sexual maturity around one year of age and find mates after their first year.

Breeding interval: Marbled polecats breed once yearly.

Breeding season: Marbled polecats mate between March and June.

Range number of offspring: 4 to 8.

Range gestation period: 56 to 327 days.

Range weaning age: 50 to 54 days.

Range time to independence: 61 to 68 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 years.

Key Reproductive Features: semelparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); delayed implantation

Delayed implantation allows female marbled polecats to select the best environmental conditions in which to give birth. Although cubs feed from their mother until they are weaned, they display predatory behavior and are able to eat solid food before they are weaned. The cubs disperse around 61 to 68 days although not yet fully grown.

Parental Investment: female parental care ; pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Populations of marbled polecats are declining in many areas of their range, in which they are already uncommon. Habitat destruction, desertification, and the changing of natural habitat to farmland have led to a large reduction in population size (Tikhonov et al. 2008). Human reduction of rodent populations as well as road traffic and hunting are also reducing populations of marbled polecats. Additionally, this species can become infected with ticks and fleas, which is an increasing problem.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: vulnerable

Native, resident?

Data Deficient.

Very rare.

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

Conservation Actions

Marbled polecats may prey on poultry and may also take cheese and meat from humans.

Historically, marbled polecats were kept in shops to help control rodent problems in Kabul. They are on rare occasions kept as pets. Marbled polecats are occasionally trapped in small numbers for their fur, though it has no market value.

Positive Impacts: pet trade ; controls pest population