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Putorius
Polecats (subgenus ''Putorius'') are Mustelidae, mustelids in the genus Weasel, ''Mustela''. It includes four living species — the black-footed ferret or American polecat (''Mustela nigripes''), the domestic ferret (''Mustela furo''), the European polecat (''Mustela putorius''), and the steppe polecat (''Mustela eversmanii''). Polecats share the genus ''Mustela'' with members of the subgenera ''Lutreola'' and ''Mustela''. ''Putorius'' was first described in 1817 by Georges Cuvier and included multiple related species. This was until 1877 when ''Putorius'' was reclassified to only include three species. In 1982, the subgenus ''Cynomyonax'' (black-footed ferrets) was merged into ''Putorius''. The common ancestor of all species in ''Putorius'' used to live in central Eurasia. Eventually, a population of steppe polecat migrated to North America and evolved into the black-footed ferret. Taxonomy A subspecies with the name ''Putorius'' was first described by Georges Cuvier in his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Striped Polecat
The striped polecat (''Ictonyx striatus''), also called the African polecat, zoril, zorille, zorilla, African muishond, striped muishond, Cape polecat, and African skunk, is a species of mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. Despite bearing some resemblance to a skunk (of the family Mephitidae), it actually belongs in a separate family known as the Mustelidae, and genetic analysis suggests that its closest living relative is the African striped weasel. Historically, this species has been wrongly classified as a type of skunk or sloth. It is adaptable and lives in a wide range of habitats and elevations, with a preference for open environments that have lower levels of shrubs, especially ones where large ungulates are present to control shrub growth. It avoids dense rainforests and deserts with no scrub cover, thus being absent from the Congo Basin, the more coastal areas of West Africa, and the driest parts of Somalia and Ethiopia. Measuring in length excluding the tail, the str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
