I keep seeing these dead things at the side of the road that remind me of a pet ferret a friend of mine had years ago. Much bigger than stoat/weasel, brown and cream. I drive around Wiltshire a lot, but have only just started seeing these things over the past couple of months. Are they polecats? If so are they on the increase and has anyone else started seeing more of them recently? Didn’t think we had them/many in England.

Mink?

Sounds like it could be polecats
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Polecat. Could be ferral ferrets perhaps or mink / ferret / polecat hybrids

I’d say mink as well. Have any been ‘liberated’ from labs in Wiltshire recently?

I remember polecats being brown (although I’ve only seen one) and incredibly smelly, even before it was dead.

They look more like TJs European polecats, have google imaged minks and they are all brown, which the ones I see aren’t. Just getting curious cos I keep seeing them.

Let Cinamon Girl know, she could probably stuff one of those more easily than a badger

Mink do vary in colour They do IIRC interbreed with polecats – and there are feral ferrets out there to add into the mix that also interbreed

Wiltshire, where polecats were once extinct, is now one of the areas to have shown significant population growth.

Polecats and ferrets are BRILL. FACT.

Dorset Rough Riders are in Wiltshire (Grovely Wood) on Sunday.

Will keem em peeled.

Dave will keep em peeled with you! Planning to come along, was going to ring you to make sure the ride is still on. 9.30 Martin Down car park unless raining, right?

Interesting info everyone, esp the analogueandy. May have to stop and take a photo next time I see one! You can mail them to WSBRC for ID purposes…..

It’ll be good to have you along Anna.

I’m the ride leader and from what I’ve seen from the forecast, it should be a cracking day.

9.30 it is. Hope the sisters are expecting us 😆

Probably Polecat though maybe Mink, ferrets struggle to go feral (too much domestication) and get picked off by predators or thirst.