| Putorius | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Mustela |
| Subgenus: | Putorius Cuvier,1817 |
| Species | |
Polecats (subgenusPutorius) aremustelids in the genusMustela. It includes four living species — theblack-footed ferret or American polecat (Mustela nigripes), the domesticferret (Mustela furo), theEuropean polecat (Mustela putorius), and thesteppe polecat (Mustela eversmanii). Polecats share the genusMustela with members of the subgeneraLutreola andMustela.
Putorius was first described in 1817 byGeorges Cuvier and included multiple related species. This was until 1877 whenPutorius was reclassified to only include three species. In 1982, the subgenusCynomyonax (black-footed ferrets) was merged intoPutorius. The common ancestor of all species inPutorius used to live in central Eurasia. Eventually, a population of steppe polecat migrated to North America and evolved into the black-footed ferret.
A subspecies with the namePutorius was first described byGeorges Cuvier in his 1817 workLe Règne Animal (The Animal Kingdom). Steppe polecats and black-footed ferrets had not yet been described until 1827 and 1851 respectively. This originalPutorius classification featured a much more wider array of animals, which included the European polecat and domestic ferret, alongside theAmerican mink ("Polecat of the North American rivers"),Amazon weasel ("African ferret"),European mink,least weasel,marbled polecat,Malayan weasel,Siberian weasel,stoat,striped polecat, and "striped Madagascar ferret".[1]
In 1877, American historianElliott Coues split thePutorius into multiple subgenuses and reclassified only the European polecat, domestic ferret and steppe polecat intoPutorius. The black-footed ferret, which had features ofPutorius andGale (a subgenus split fromPutorius), was put into its own subgenusCynomyonax.[2] The modern classification arose in 1982 when Phillip M. Youngman placed the black-footed ferret intoPutorius.[3] The ancestor of modern polecats and ferrets and earliest true polecat is considered to beMustela stromeri, a smaller species whose size indicated polecats evolved at a late period.
| Name | Distribution | Subspecies | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black-footed ferret or American polecat (Mustela nigripes) | Several pockets of land in central North America; in Canada, the United States, and Mexico | Monotypic[4] |  |
| Domestic ferret (Mustela furo) | Worldwide (domesticated), New Zealand (non-native)[5] | May be considered a subspecies ofMustela putorius. |  |
| European polecat (Mustela putorius) | Europe, Morocco, and northern Asia | 6 or 7[6] | .JPG) |
| Steppe polecat (Mustela eversmanii) | Southeast Europe; northern and southern Asia | 7[7] |  |
Originally, the common ancestor of members inPutorius,Mustela stromeri, lived in large territories of centralEurasia, with most skulls commonly unearthed inEastern Europe.[8][9] The range extended into North American when a population of steppe polecat (Mustela eversmannii berengii) crossed theBering land bridge. This subspecies evolved into modern black-footed ferrets.[10]
Most members eat rodents. 90% of the black-footed ferret's diet is made up ofprairie dogs, followed by other small rodents andlagomorphs. The European polecat primarily feeds onmouse-like rodents, followed byamphibians andbirds. The steppe polecat's predominant prey is thecommon vole, though it hunts more frequently onhamsters duringspring and thesummer.[11]
TheIUCN Red List lists European and steppe polecats as "Least Concern" as both have widespread areas with large population. However, black-footed polecats are listed as "Endangered" and it is estimated that there are 350 black-footed ferrets living in the wild.[12] The main threats to black-footed polecats are disease, habitat loss, and human-introduced diseases.[13] The European polecat's main threat is vehicle collisions, and other threats include traps and poisoning through rats and other small mammals exposed to rodenticides.[14]
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