European marbled polecat

Description

The Bulgarian or marbled polecat (Vormela peregusna) is a species of carnivorous mammal of the family Mustelidae.This small mammal belongs to the monotypic genus Vormela,within the subfamily Mustelinae.Vormela comes from the word German Würmlein,means "little worm" because the animal has an elongated body tubelike.The term peregusna comes from pereguznya,which is the Ukrainian term for polecat.The species is generally found in dry grasslands of southeastern Europe to western China.Like other members of your subfamily,it can emit a discharge with an unpleasant odor from anal glands when it is threatened.It has a body length of 29 to 35 cm (head and body).Its ears are very long,and its snout is short.Their limbs are also short,with long,strong claws.It has short fur,except in its tail,where it is longer.It has black and white marks on its face,with black marks around its eyes,and white ones next to its mouth.The dorsal coat is yellow,with reddish or brown spots.The tail is brown,with a yellow band in its middle part.Its ventral zone and its extremities are dark brown.The body mass of females ranges from 295 to 600 grams,and that of males from 320 to 715 grams.