Steppe Polecat

The steppe polecat is a long, slender mustelid with a pale straw-yellow or brown body. Its chest, legs, groin and part of the tail are dark, and contrasting facial markings create a mask. It is generally larger and more powerfully built than the European polecat. Recorded adults measure 29–56.2cm and weigh 1.35–2.05kg, although size and coat pattern vary geographically. (Animal Diversity Web)

Its range runs from Central and Eastern Europe across Central Asia to Mongolia and northern and western China. Steppe polecats occupy dry open country, including grassland, semi-desert, pasture and cultivated fields, while generally avoiding forest. They rest by day in burrows, crevices, hollow trees or buildings and often appropriate the burrows of their prey. Ground squirrels and other burrowing rodents dominate the diet, and the polecats may move when local prey becomes scarce. (Animal Diversity Web)