'European' Polecats.

[ferret lady 73]

so what your saying is there not polecats but ferrets BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION EXTREMLEY RARE IN THE UK

 

That's correct. I've seen and been sent literally hundreds of photos of UK "polecats" over the last few years, and only a very few looked as though they could be pure polecats. Some of the rest may have been hybrids, but the vast majority looked to be medium to dark polecat colored ferrets. I also don't consider the DNA test to be reliable evidence after seeing a pic of an albino ferret with no indication of polecat type or structure whatsoever which was DNA tested as a polecat.

[Malt 379]

so what your saying is there not polecats but ferrets BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION EXTREMLEY RARE IN THE UK

 

That's correct. I've seen and been sent literally hundreds of photos of UK "polecats" over the last few years, and only a very few looked as though they could be pure polecats. Some of the rest may have been hybrids, but the vast majority looked to be medium to dark polecat colored ferrets. I also don't consider the DNA test to be reliable evidence after seeing a pic of an albino ferret with no indication of polecat type or structure whatsoever which was DNA tested as a polecat.

 

Even totally wild animals vary in structure from individual to individual.. Do you eugenics fanatics really believe that you can play god to the extent that you can perfectly recreate a clone like copy to your specifications every time? Who the hell makes up these 'breed standards' anyway, and who took it upon themselves to decide what was a perfect specimen of a wild polecat? Do they make them for other wild animals like crows, dormice & grass snakes?

[ferret lady 73]

Even totally wild animals vary in structure from individual to individual.. Do you eugenics fanatics really believe that you can play god to the extent that you can perfectly recreate a clone like copy to your specifications every time? Who the hell makes up these 'breed standards' anyway, and who took it upon themselves to decide what was a perfect specimen of a wild polecat? Do they make them for other wild animals like crows, dormice & grass snakes?

 

While individuals vary within a species, there are certain defining characteristics which is what makes them a species. So, yes, I suppose one could say that there are "breed standards" for each species.

[Ideation 8,216]

Is not the ferocity of a wild animal a large part of what makes a polecat a polecat??? The wildness. You breed it out of them for generations and you have a ferret, no matter what it looks like or the DNA tests say. Why do you even breed them anyway? What drew you to these animals?

[ferret lady 73]

Is not the ferocity of a wild animal a large part of what makes a polecat a polecat??? The wildness. You breed it out of them for generations and you have a ferret, no matter what it looks like or the DNA tests say. Why do you even breed them anyway? What drew you to these animals?

 

Polecats vary just as much in personality and temperament as ferrets do. Ferocity toward people is not an integral part of a true polecat, as I have been told of several true polecat kits found in the wild at a very young age who are extremely tame and affectionate, and can be handled by their owners with no problem. I would expect a ferret born and raised in the wild to be just as ferocious as any polecat, especially if captured when it was past the young kit stage.

 

As a former wild animal rescuer/rehabilitator, I became fascinated with polecats shortly after acquiring my first ferrets...their strong characters, high intelligence, athletic ability and agility, and obtained my first hybrids several years later. They were/are definitely a challenge to live with and not suitable for the majority of ferret owners, but I thoroughly enjoy them. I would not want a true polecat, as I do not have the facilities to care for one properly...I'll settle for the hybrids with sound, stable temperaments such as I have.

Edited July 25, 2011 by ferret lady

[Ideation 8,216]

I thought you saw / heard of very few true wild poleys, but know of several true kits that were found?

 

Why would you want a 'true' polecat anyway, it's a wild animal, leave it be.

 

I wonder if folk realise that this craze for 'e.u poleys' has a led to a lot of them being trapped for breeding. . . . . .thus damaging the wild population.

[ferret lady 73]

I thought you saw / heard of very few true wild poleys, but know of several true kits that were found?

 

Why would you want a 'true' polecat anyway, it's a wild animal, leave it be.

 

I wonder if folk realise that this craze for 'e.u poleys' has a led to a lot of them being trapped for breeding. . . . . .thus damaging the wild population.

 

The true wild poley kits I was referring to were not found in the UK, but in countries where there are no feral ferrets.

 

I'm inclined to agree with you re letting a wild animal be, as I don't think it's right to keep a wild animal in captivity unless it can't survive in the wild for some reason.

 

I'd be willing to bet that very few of the socalled poleys which were trapped and used for breeding are actually pure polecats, but were the result of several generations of feral ferrets breeding. Would you then consider such to be polecats? I would consider them to be genetic ferrets, just as true polecats bred in captivity for several generation would still be genetic polecats.

[Ideation 8,216]

I thought you saw / heard of very few true wild poleys, but know of several true kits that were found?

 

Why would you want a 'true' polecat anyway, it's a wild animal, leave it be.

 

I wonder if folk realise that this craze for 'e.u poleys' has a led to a lot of them being trapped for breeding. . . . . .thus damaging the wild population.

 

The true wild poley kits I was referring to were not found in the UK, but in countries where there are no feral ferrets.

 

I'm inclined to agree with you re letting a wild animal be, as I don't think it's right to keep a wild animal in captivity unless it can't survive in the wild for some reason.

 

I'd be willing to bet that very few of the socalled poleys which were trapped and used for breeding are actually pure polecats, but were the result of several generations of feral ferrets breeding. Would you then consider such to be polecats? I would consider them to be genetic ferrets, just as true polecats bred in captivity for several generation would still be genetic polecats.

 

Without being a dick, the definition of a 'ferret' is a "domesticated polecat used for flushing rabbits or rats from their warrens", and all a ferret is essentially is a wild poley that has been domesticated, so if you take a poley from the wild it's a poley, but tame its offspring and several gens later, especially if you work it. . . . it's a ferret.

[ferret lady 73]

I understand what you're saying, but don't completely agree with it. I think you're undoubtedly right in applying that to UK "polecats" as it seems very likely that most or all of them are predominantly dwscendents of feral ferrets who have reverted back to polecat coloration and general type. If there are any true polecats left, they'd most likely be in very isolated areas where there are no ferrets.

 

It is very definitely not true in other countries where there are no feral ferrets, as there are very clear structural differences between ferrets and polecats. The easiest to see are the differences in skull formation and eye placement. Polecats have extremely good eye sight, another major difference with most ferrets, as well as bigger and differently shaped teeth.

 

Plus, while hybrids have much better muscling than ferrets, polecats have even more, plus an entirely different way of moving. They are unbelievably fast and agile, extremely athletic, much more so than even the F1 hybrids. That pretty much covers the differences that I can think of, offhand.

[The one 8,479]

Ferret lady are you going to work then as i know the jill did a bit ?.

[Ideation 8,216]

I understand what you're saying, but don't completely agree with it. I think you're undoubtedly right in applying that to UK "polecats" as it seems very likely that most or all of them are predominantly dwscendents of feral ferrets who have reverted back to polecat coloration and general type. If there are any true polecats left, they'd most likely be in very isolated areas where there are no ferrets.

 

It is very definitely not true in other countries where there are no feral ferrets, as there are very clear structural differences between ferrets and polecats. The easiest to see are the differences in skull formation and eye placement. Polecats have extremely good eye sight, another major difference with most ferrets, as well as bigger and differently shaped teeth.

 

Plus, while hybrids have much better muscling than ferrets, polecats have even more, plus an entirely different way of moving. They are unbelievably fast and agile, extremely athletic, much more so than even the F1 hybrids. That pretty much covers the differences that I can think of, offhand.

 

 

My point was, you tame it, breed it in captivity and work it, and by definition, it becomes a ferret.

[ferret lady 73]

And, as I said, that may well be true in the UK. It's highly unlikely that it would be true in other countries who actually do have pure polecats with no infusion of ferret genetics.

[Ideation 8,216]

And, as I said, that may well be true in the UK. It's highly unlikely that it would be true in other countries who actually do have pure polecats with no infusion of ferret genetics.

 

 

Right, i will speak slowly.

 

A FERRET, by DEFINITION, is a "domesticated polecat used to flush rabbits and rats from their warrens"

 

and hence, if you domesticate a WILD polecat, and use it for the above purpose.

 

BY DEFINITION, it is a ferret.

 

Remember - originally there were NO ferrets, only wild polecats, and the ferret was created by domesticating them, and adding nothing else.

 

You get me now? I'm not talking about whether 'wild poleys' are pure of have 'ferret' blood in them.

[Rake aboot 4,935]

And, as I said, that may well be true in the UK. It's highly unlikely that it would be true in other countries who actually do have pure polecats with no infusion of ferret genetics.

 

 

Right, i will speak slowly.

 

A FERRET, by DEFINITION, is a "domesticated polecat used to flush rabbits and rats from their warrens"

 

and hence, if you domesticate a WILD polecat, and use it for the above purpose.

 

BY DEFINITION, it is a ferret.

 

Remember - originally there were NO ferrets, only wild polecats, and the ferret was created by domesticating them, and adding nothing else.

 

You get me now? I'm not talking about whether 'wild poleys' are pure of have 'ferret' blood in them.

 

 

Bang,,,,,,Your,,,,,,Head,,,,,,Against,,,,,,A,,,,,,,,Brick,,,,,,Wall,,,,,,,It`s,,,,,,Less,,,,,,Painful,,,,,,,

[KittleRox 2,147]

I have to say I agree with ferret lady,

what ferret lady has said is a "True Wild" polecat is geneticaly different from a ferret, so even after breeding them for a few generations they are still the Wild type geneticaly,

 

I can see where you are coming from Jai but to call a true wild type a ferret just because it works or is as tame as a ferret just doesn,t add up,