File:Brehm's Life of animals - a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Mammalia (1896) (20386988786).jpg

Title: Brehm's Life of animals : a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Mammalia
Identifier: brehmslifeofanim1896breh (find matches)
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Brehm, Alfred Edmund, 1829-1884; Pechuel-Loesche, Edward, 1840-1913; Haacke, Wilhelm, 1855-1912; Schmidtlein, Richard
Subjects: Mammals; Animal behavior
Publisher: Chicago : Marquis
Contributing Library: Internet Archive
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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THE MART EX FAMILY-\\ LASkL GROUP. 157 The Polecat's The Polecat inhabits the temperate Range zone of Europe and Asia and even en- and Habits, croaches a little upon the arctic zone. It is found throughout all Europe except Lapland and northern Russia. In Asia it ranges from the Caspian sea through Tartary and Siberia to Kam- chatka. Every locality holding out a promise of food is adapted for its existence and therefore it fre- quents plains as well as mountains, forests and fields, and is particularly partial to the vicinity of large farms. It takes up its habitation in hollow trees, rocks, old Fox burrows and similar holes which it happens to come across; and, if driven to it, can burrow itself. It establishes itself in fields of high- grown wheat or corn; it also makes its home in fence corners, under bridges, in old walls, the roots of large trees or close hedges; in short, it settles down wherever there is a good chance to do so, but fights shy of work, preferring to let other animals do the digging and burrowing. In winter it shifts its Polecats, and as the result of his labors, concluded that they devoured Frogs and Snakes with great pleasure, never caring for the bites of .venomous Snakes and experiencing no discomfort from them. The Polecat Besides feeding on venomous Snakes a Vigilant the Polecat, Marten-fashion, attacks Hunter. every creature it holds to be its inferior in strength. It is a deadly enemy of all Moles, field and house Mice, Rats and Hamsters, Hedgehogs, Chickens and Ducks. Frogs seem to be one of its favorite dainties, for it catches them in great quanti- ties, and keeps them in its burrow by the dozen. When food is scarce it contents itself with Grasshop- pers and Snails. It also goes fishing and lies in wait for fish on the banks of rivers, lakes and ponds, jumps after them into the water, dives and seizes them with great adroitness; it is even said to take them from under the ice in winter. It is also very fond of honey and fruits. Its sanguinary instincts are great, but not so great as those of the Martens
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>,' â "' : / THE POLECAT. An animal which is generally avoided by those ol sensitive olfai I I olecat, which inhabits the greater part of Europe and Asia, where it ravages poultry yards, but also catches Rats. Mice and other rodents. It is also partial to Frogs, and the mother Polecat in the picture is shown in the maternal act of bringing to her young a Frog she has killed. (Putoriusfectidus.) quarters and moves into villages and cities, often encroaching upon the domain of the domestic Cat and the Stone Marten. Occasionally it enters Hen- houses, Pigeon-roosts, Rabbit-hutches and similar places, where it displays an activity little calculated to bring joy to their inmates or owners, and only equaled but never surpassed by other members of the Marten family. On the other hand it makes it- self useful, and if the farmer is careful of his Hens, Pigeons and Rabbits, he cannot find fault with his guest, for it catches a multitude of Rats and Mice, thoroughly rids the immediate neighborhood of Snakes, and requires nothing for its services but a warm bed in a very dark corner in the hay-loft. There are localities in which the Polecat is as wel- come as it is detested in others. The Polecat We must agree with Lenz, who advises Useful in the every forester to spare the Polecat. Its Woods. right place is in the woods, and it does much good by killing Mice and Snakes; its usefulness in destroying Hamsters is also worthy of mention. Lenz experimented a great deal with half-grown proper. As a rule it does not kill all the poultry in a house into which it has effected an entrance, but takes the first fowl that it comes across and hurries with it to its hiding-place; but it repeats this per- formance several times in one night. More than other members of the Marten family it is in the habit of stocking its larder with provisions, and not in- frequently goodly supplies of Mice, birds, eggs and Frogs are found in its burrows. Its agility makes its task of providing for its sustenance an easy one. All movements of the Polecat are quick, agile and to the purpose. It is past-master in the arts of sneak- ing and leaping; it climbs, swims, dives, in short, makes use of every movement that may further its purposes. It is crafty, cunning, cautious, distrust- ful, ingenious and, when attacked, courageous, and addicted to vicious biting; in short, it is perfectly fitted for committing great robberies. Like the Skunk (which in America is frequently called "Pole- cat "), it defends itself in extremities by ejecting a foul-smelling fluid and thereby deterring the Dogs from pursuing it. Its tenacity of life is incredible.

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