Derbyshire Mammal Group

The first confirmed occurrence of the polecat (Mustela putorius) in Derbyshire since 1900 was of an animal killed on the road near Church Broughton on 27th June 1993. Details, and a synopsis of records of its status in the county during the 19th century are contained in an article by Nick Moyes in DNHS Observations, 1994, and subsequently reproduced on the DBRC website. Other polecats have been found since.

The first Peak District record appears to be a freshly-killed specimen found on the A6 north of Buxton on 13th September 1998 by Helen Perkins and Dave Mallon. Another was caught in a rat trap at Tideswell on 4th October 1998. Another road casualty turned up just north of Hayfield in April 1999. Photographs were sent to Dr Johnny Birks of the Vincent Wildlife Trust who confirmed that all appeared to be polecat, not polecat-ferret. A fourth specimen from Stoney Middleton Dale in 2001 showed some intermediate characters.

Typical polecat characters to look for are: very dark tail and rump, with no silvery guard hairs; dark face from forehead to rhinarium (naked area surrounding the nostrils); a small white chin; no white on the feet; no grizzling on the head.

Dave Mallon