The Saharan striped polecat (''Ictonyx libycus''), also known as Saharan striped weasel and Libyan striped weasel, is a species of mammal in the family

Mustelidae The Mustelidae (; from Latin ''mustela'', weasel) are a family of carnivorous mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, ferrets, martens, minks and wolverines, among others. Mustelids () are a diverse group and form the largest family in th ...

Characteristics

The Saharan striped polecat is white with dark random stripes. It has black feet, legs, ears and undersides. Often, a white ring goes around the face and above a black snout. They are sometimes confused with the striped polecat, though are generally smaller and have distinct facial markings. It is about in length, including tail and generally weighs between .

Distribution and habitat

The Saharan striped polecat is distributed around the northern and southern edges of the Sahara in Mauritania,

Western Sahara Western Sahara ( '; ; ) is a disputed territory on the northwest coast and in the Maghreb region of North and West Africa. About 20% of the territory is controlled by the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), while the ...

and

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

in the west along the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

littoral of North Africa to the Nile Valley in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

, while in the south its range is the Sahel east to Sudan and

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

. The Saharan striped polecat lives on the margins of deserts, especially in mountains, in arid, stony terrain and sandy semi-deserts, rarely in woodlands, and prefers steppe-like habitat.

Behaviour and ecology

The Saharan striped polecat is nocturnal and solitary. It hides during the day in other animals' burrows or digs its own. It generally gives birth to one to three young in spring. It moves about at night in the open in a quite deliberate way, with its tail held vertically. It is known to spray a foul, skunk-like anal emission when threatened. Before releasing the anal emission, it raises its fur in an attempt to warn the potential attacker.

Diet

It eats primarily eggs, small birds, small mammals, and lizards. Much of its prey is tracked down by scent and dug out of burrows, and although it is normally a slow, deliberate mover, it can move quite rapidly and pounce quickly when pursuing prey.

Reproduction

It generally gives birth to one to three young in spring.

Threats

In Tunisia, Saharan striped polecats are often caught and exploited because of the tribal belief that they may increase male fertility.

Taxonomy

The Saharan striped polecat is sometimes characterized as being a part of the genus ''Poecilictis''. The following subspecies have been proposed for the Saharan striped polecat: * ''I. l. libycus'' * ''I. l. multivittatus'' * ''I. l. oralis'' * ''I. l. rothschildi''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:polecat, striped, Saharan Saharan striped polecat Mammals of North Africa Fauna of the Sahara Sahel Saharan striped polecat Taxonomy articles created by Polbot