View source for Striped polecat

{{Short description|Species of mustelid mammal}}
{{redirect-distinguish-text|Zorilla|[[Zorrilla]]. For the baseball player nicknamed Zorilla, see [[Ben Zobrist]]}}
{{Speciesbox
| fossil_range = [[Late Pleistocene]] - [[Holocene|recent]], {{fossil range|0.128|0}}
| name = Striped polecat
| image = African polecat walking in leaves - DPLA - fa39b9e9bcf1097e237ba8b92922c4eb.jpg
| image_alt = Photo of a black furry animal with white stripes on some leaf litter, facing the viewer
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 11 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Stuart, C. |author2=Stuart, M. |author3=Do Linh San, E. |date=2015 |title=''Ictonyx striatus'' |volume=2015 |page=e.T41646A45212491 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41646A45212491.en |access-date=11 November 2021}}</ref>
| taxon = Ictonyx striatus
| authority = ([[George Perry (naturalist)|Perry]], 1810)
| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies
| subdivision = See [[#Subspecies|text]]
| range_map = Striped Polecat area.png
| range_map_caption = Striped polecat range
| synonyms = {{collapsible list
|''[[Bradypus]] striatus'' <small>Perry, 1810</small>
|''[[Mephitis (genus)|Mephitis]] capensis'' <small>Smith, 1826</small>
|''[[Mustela]] zorilla'' <small>Fischer, 1829</small>
|''[[Putorius]] zorilla'' <small>Smith, 1834</small>
|''Ictonyx capensis'' <small>Kaup, 1835</small>
|''Mephitis africana'' <small>Lichtenstein, 1836</small>
|''Rhabdogale mustelina'' <small>Wagner, 1841</small>
|''Zorilla striata'' <small>Layard, 1861</small>
|''Ictonyx limpopoensis'' <small>Roberts, 1917</small>
|''Ictonyx orangiae'' <small>Roberts, 1924</small>
|''Ictonyx kalaharicus'' <small>Roberts, 1932</small>
}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name=Lariviere2002/>
}}

The '''striped polecat''' ('''''Ictonyx striatus'''''), also called the '''African polecat''', '''zoril''', '''zorille''', '''zorilla''', '''African muishond''', '''striped muishond''', '''Cape polecat''', and '''African skunk''', is a species of [[mammal]] native to [[sub-Saharan Africa]]. Despite bearing some resemblance to a [[skunk]] (of the family [[Mephitidae]]), it actually belongs in a separate family known as the [[Mustelidae]], and [[genetic analysis]] suggests that its closest living relative is the [[African striped weasel]]. Historically, this species has been wrongly classified as a type of skunk or [[sloth]]. It is adaptable and lives in a wide range of habitats and elevations, with a preference for open environments that have lower levels of shrubs, especially ones where large [[ungulate]]s are present to control shrub growth. It avoids dense rainforests and deserts with no scrub cover, thus being absent from the [[Congo Basin]], the more coastal areas of [[West Africa]], and the driest parts of [[Somalia]] and [[Ethiopia]].

Measuring {{convert|30|–|38|cm|abbr=on}} in length excluding the tail, the striped polecat is a small mammal, with males growing larger than females. Its fur is mostly black, with distinctive white stripes running down its back and white patches on its face and tail, though the exact patterning is highly variable between different individuals and populations. A large number of [[subspecies]] have been proposed based on these differences, though it is unclear how many of these (if any) are valid. Near its anus, the striped polecat has glands which can spray a nauseating, irritating fluid at potential [[predators]] as a way of defending itself. Its striking colouration is an example of [[aposematism]], warning predators of its spray to deter them from attacking, and it takes a defensive stance with its back arched and tail raised before it sprays. [[Feigning death]] is another method it uses to avoid predation.

The forelimbs of this animal bear long, curved claws which it uses to excavate [[burrow]]s or dig for [[invertebrate]] prey in soil or dung. The striped polecat is a predatory and mostly [[carnivorous]] animal that primarily feeds on insects, [[rodent]]s and small [[reptile]]s, catching them on the ground or just beneath the surface. Birds, eggs, [[amphibian]]s and other invertebrates are also known prey items. A [[nocturnal]] creature, it actively forages throughout the night and retreats to a resting area during the day, which is typically a burrow or other crevice. Most prey is eaten whole and killed with a bite to the head, sometimes while pinned down using the mustelid's forelimbs, though larger prey may bitten in other areas and skinned before they are eaten. Plant matter may also be consumed, though this is much more rarely eaten than animal prey. Due to its defensive spray, the striped polecat is rarely targeted by predators, and vehicular collision is a more common cause of death. Multiple [[parasite]] species may occur in or on this mammal, and it is also a known carrier of [[rabies]].

The striped polecat is a mostly [[solitary animal]], and adult males are hostile towards one another, though family groups do occur and multiple can be kept together in captivity. Females tolerate males during the breeding season, and after a [[gestation]] period of 36 day, the mother gives birth to and raises her litter of two or three young. Newborns have closed eyes and ears, and are almost hairless, with most of their pink skin visible. A variety of different calls are used by striped polecats to communicate with each other, as are behavioural cues such as raised hair when angered or displaying their black underside in friendly interactions. [[Olfactic communication]] involving its odorous fluids likely occurs as well. Though it may compete with other small carnivores in its range such as [[mongoose]]s, [[Genet (animal)|genets]] and African striped weasels, this is likely minimized by [[niche partitioning]]. The striped polecat is common across most of its range, despite localized population declines, and is not believed to face any major threats to its overall survival as a species.

==Etymology==
The [[Generic name (biology)|generic name]] ''[[Ictonyx]]'' combines two [[Ancient Greek]] words, {{Transliteration|grc|iktis}} ({{lang|grc|ἴκτις}}, meaning "[[marten]]" or "weasel") and {{Transliteration|grc|ónux}} ({{lang|grc|ὄνυξ}}, meaning "claw"). The [[Specific name (zoology)|specific name]] is a [[Latin]] word meaning "streaked", in reference to the patterns on the animal's back. Therefore, the [[scientific name]] of this animal can be interpreted as "streaked weasel claw" or "streaked marten claw".<ref name="Lariviere2002">{{Cite journal |last=Larivière |first=Serge |date=2002-07-05 |title=''Ictonyx striatus'' |url=https://academic.oup.com/mspecies/article/doi/10.2307/0.698.1/2600492 |journal=Mammalian Species |issue=698 |pages=1–5 |doi=10.2307/0.698.1 |issn=0076-3519|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

[[File:Beytrag zur Naturgeschichte der vierfüßigen Thiere 1 Tafel 39.jpg|alt=Painting of a black weasel-like animal with white stripes, with text underneath labeling it|Illustration made in 1794 of a striped polecat with a caption referring to it as a 'zorilla'|left|thumb]]
This species is referred to by a wide range of vernacular names, one of the most common being "striped polecat". The English word ''polecat'' combines the English word ''cat'' with the [[Middle French]] word ''poul'' or ''pol'' (meaning "cock"). This word was originally used for the [[European polecat]], referencing its predation on [[poultry]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Merriam-Webster |title=Polecat |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polecat |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary |language=en}}</ref> Another commonly used name is ''zorilla'', sometimes spelled as ''zorille'', which comes from the Spanish word ''zorillo'' (meaning "[[skunk]]"), itself a diminutive form of the Spanish ''zorro'' (meaning "fox").<ref>{{Cite web |title=Zorilla |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/zorilla |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=Collins Dictionary}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Witczak |first=Krzysztof |date=2007 |title=Mustelidae in the Cretan Dialect of Modern Greek |url=https://www.academia.edu/6871032 |journal=Eos |volume=94 |pages=295–311 |issn=0012-7825}}</ref> The names "African skunk", "African muishond" and "striped muishond" have also been used, though the former is inaccurate since this animal belongs in a separate family from true skunks.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /> ''Muishond'' is an [[Afrikaans]] word derived from the [[Middle Dutch]] term ''muushont'', meaning "mouse hound", and is also used in reference to various [[mongoose]] species.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Merriam-Webster |title=Muishond |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muishond |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023 |title=Muishond |url=https://dsae.co.za/entry/muishond/e05003 |access-date=2025-03-23 |website=Dictionary of South African English}}</ref>

==Taxonomy==
[[File:Arcana, or, The museum of natural history (Pl. 41) (6927553000).jpg|alt=Painting of a black furry animal with white stripes running down its back and white markings on its face|Engraving of a striped polecat by [[Thomas Lord Busby]] published in the 1810 paper which first described the species, labeled as ''Bradypus striatus''|left|thumb]]
The oldest [[scientific description]] of a striped polecat was published in 1810 by English naturalist [[George Perry (naturalist)|George Perry]], who described the animal based on an engraving made by English artist [[Thomas Lord Busby]]. The individual depicted was seen a few months earlier in London, where the live animal was displayed in a [[travelling menagerie]] and claimed to be from South America. Soon after the engraving was made, the menagerie had moved away from London, so Perry was unable to examine the living animal in detail. Based on the engraving, Perry could determine that the species was unknown to science, but was not entirely sure what type of animal it was. He believed it had some similarities to wombats, koalas, bears and weasels, but ultimately described it as a species of [[sloth]] in the genus ''[[Bradypus]]'', giving it the [[scientific name]] ''Bradypus striatus'' and the [[common name]] "weasel sloth".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Perry |first=George |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/39045301 |title=Arcana, or, The museum of natural history : containing the most recent discovered objects : embellished with coloured plates, and corresponding descriptions : with extracts relating to animals, and remarks of celebrated travellers; combining a general survey of nature |publisher=Printed by George Smeeton for James Stratford |year=1810 |volume=[Incomplete] |location=London |pages=161–162}}</ref>

More specimens of striped polecats would be analyzed throughout the 19th century, with various authors establishing new species names based on them. They have since been found to represent the same species and the [[taxa]] erected based on them are thus considered [[Synonym (taxonomy)|synonymous]].<ref name="Lariviere2002" /> British zoologist [[Andrew Smith (zoologist)|Andrew Smith]] wrote a catalog in 1826 of the mammal specimens in the [[South African Museum]]. He believed one specimen represented an unknown species of [[skunk]] in the genus ''[[Mephitis (genus)|Mephitis]]'', and gave it the scientific name ''Mephitis capensis''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Andrew |url=https://archive.org/details/adescriptivecat04smitgoog/page/n34/mode/1up |title=A descriptive catalogue of the South African museum. Pt.1 of mammalia |publisher=W. Bridekirk |year=1826 |location=Cape Town |pages=20 |language=English}}</ref> Later in 1829, German zoologist [[Johann Baptist Fischer]] described a species under the name ''Mustela zorilla'' based on specimens from [[Senegal]] and the [[Cape of Good Hope]], South Africa, recognizing that it belongs in the family [[Mustelidae]].<ref name="Fischer-1829">{{Cite book |last=Fischer |first=Johann Baptist |url=https://archive.org/details/synopsismammali00fiscgoog/page/218/mode/1up |title=Synopsis Mammalium |publisher=Cotta |year=1829 |location=Stuttgart |pages=218–219 |language=la}}</ref> This species was moved to the genus ''[[Putorius]]'' by Smith in 1834, renaming it as ''Putorius zorilla''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Smith |first=Andrew |date=1834 |title=African Zoology |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15968197 |journal=South African Quarterly Journal |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=81–96}}</ref> The genus ''[[Ictonyx]]'' was established by German naturalist [[Johann Jakob Kaup]] in 1835 to contain a single species, which was given the name ''Ictonyx capensis'', marking the first time the striped polecat was assigned to a newly established genus rather than one which already existed. Kaup described the species based on specimens from the [[Cape of Good Hope]], South Africa, which is referenced in the [[Specific name (zoology)|specific name]].<ref name="Kaup-1835">{{Cite book |last=Kaup |first=Johann Jakob |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/130484 |title=Das Thierreich in seinen Hauptformen systematisch beschrieben |date=1835 |publisher=Diehl |location=Darmstadt |pages=352–353}}</ref> The name ''Mephitis africana'' was erected for the striped polecat by German explorer [[Hinrich Lichtenstein]] in 1836, who believed like Smith that it is a species of skunk.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lichtenstein |first=Hinrich |date=1836 |title=Über die Gattung ''Mephitis'' |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29749785 |journal=Abhandlungen der Königlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin |pages=249–312 |issn=2944-4411}}</ref> However, along with ''Mustela zorilla'', this name was synonymized in 1841 with ''Rhabdogale mustelina'', a taxon established by [[Johann Andreas Wagner]] that year.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wagner |first=Johann Andreas |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/31062848 |title=Die Säugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, mit Beschreibungen. Supplement 2 |publisher=Expedition des Schreber'schen säugthier- und des Esper'schen Schmetterlingswerkes |year=1841 |location=Erlangen |pages=219}}</ref>

During the early 1900s, the striped polecat was commonly referred to under the scientific name ''Zorilla striata'', with experts such as [[Édouard Louis Trouessart]] and [[William Lutley Sclater]] using it in their publications.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Trouessart |first=E.-L. |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/130824 |title=Catalogus mammalium tam viventium quam fossilium |publisher=Friedländer |year=1904–1905 |edition=Nova ed. (prima completa) |location=Berolini |pages=191}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sclater |first=William Lutley |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32177581 |title=The mammals of South Africa |publisher=R.H. Porter |year=1900 |volume=1 |location=London |pages=113}}</ref> This name was first used in 1861 by [[Edgar Leopold Layard]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Layard |first=Edgar Leopold |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3F9ZAAAAcAAJ |title=Catalogue of the specimens in the collection of the South African Museum. Part 1. The Mammalia |publisher=Saul Solomon & Co. |year=1861 |location=Cape Town |pages=28 |language=en}}</ref> However, it was pointed out by American zoologist [[Arthur H. Howell]] in 1906 that this name is invalid; the specific name ''striata'' originates from an 1800 publication by [[George Shaw (biologist)|George Shaw]] but is based on ''Viverra putorius'' and thus refers to the [[eastern spotted skunk]], while the generic name ''Zorilla'' is preoccupied as it was already used by [[Lorenz Oken]] in 1816.<ref name="Howell-1906">{{Cite journal |last=Howell |first=Arthur H. |date=1906 |title=The proper name for the striped muishond from South Africa |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2348102 |journal=Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington |volume=19 |pages=46 |issn=0006-324X}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Shaw |first=George |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/19632479 |title=General zoology, or Systematic natural history |date=1800 |publisher=Printed for G. Kearsley |location=London |pages=387}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Oken |first=Lorenz |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/59374764 |title=Okens Lehrbuch der Naturgeschichte |date=1816 |publisher=Bei Carl Heinrich Reclam |location=Leipzig |pages=Plate XI}}</ref> Howell determined that the proper specific name of the animal should be ''capensis'', as he thought it was the oldest given to it (by Smith in 1826). He also concluded that its proper generic name should be ''Ictonyx'' since the animal doesn't belong in any of the other genera it was formerly placed in and requires its own genus, thus assigning it the [[binomial name]] ''Ictonyx capensis''.<ref name="Howell-1906" /> In 1915, American biologist [[Ned Hollister]] realized that the "weasel sloth" described by Perry in 1810 is actually a striped polecat and thus likely originated from Africa rather than South America as formerly claimed. With this knowledge, ''striatus'' became the oldest [[Valid name (zoology)|valid]] specific name assigned to the striped polecat, giving it [[Priority (biology)|priority]] over ''capensis'', and the animal's proper binomial name is therefore ''Ictonyx striatus''.<ref name="Hollister-1915">{{Cite journal |last=Hollister |first=Ned |date=1915 |title=The specific name of the striped muishond of South Africa |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/18804 |journal=Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington |volume=28 |pages=184 |issn=0006-324X}}</ref>

===Subspecies===
[[File:Zoology of Egypt Ictonyx erythreae.jpg|alt=Painting of a black animal with white stripes walking in a desert|Illustration of the proposed subspecies ''Ictonyx striatus erythreae'' published in 1902|right|thumb]]
A number of striped polecat [[subspecies]] have been proposed, though there is debate between different authors as to how many of these are valid. Some authors have categorized them under three groupings based on geography, namely ''I. s. striatus'' in southern Africa, ''I. s. erythrae'' in northeast and eastern Africa, and ''I. s. senegalensis'' in west Africa.<ref name="Kingdon-1997">{{Cite book |last=Kingdon |first=Jonathan |url=https://archive.org/details/kingdonfieldguid00jona/page/230/mode/1up |title=The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals |publisher=Academic Press |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-12-408355-4 |location=San Diego |pages=230}}</ref> However, others believe that the supposed subspecies cannot be consistently distinguished from each other or that their geographic ranges cannot be determined, such that the species is actually [[Monotypic species|monotypic]] and all proposed subspecies should be considered invalid.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /><ref name="Smithers-1971">{{Cite book |last=Smithers |first=Reay H. N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nYE_AAAAYAAJ |title=The Mammals of Botswana |publisher=Trustees of the National Museums of Rhodesia |year=1971 |location=Salisbury |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Pringle |first=J. A. |date=1977 |title=The distribution of Mammals in Natal. Part 2. Carnivora |url=https://journals.co.za/doi/10.10520/AJA03040798_588 |journal=Annals of the Natal Museum |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=93–115 |doi=10.10520/AJA03040798_588 |doi-broken-date=22 March 2025 |issn=0304-0798}}</ref> The following 19 subspecies were recognized in the third edition of ''[[Mammal Species of the World]]'' published in 2005:<ref name="MSW3">{{MSW3 Wozencraft|id=14001179|heading=''Ictonyx striatus''}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable collapsible" font="90%"
|- style="background: #115a6c"
!Subspecies
!Trinomial authority
!Description
!Type locality
|-
|''I. s. striatus'' ([[Nominate subspecies]])
|Perry, 1810
|Largely black, with four white back stripes, a white forehead spot and white patches beneath the ears.<ref name="Roberts-1951">{{Cite book |last=Roberts |first=Austin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gzg_AAAAYAAJ |title=The Mammals of South Africa |publisher=Trustees of "The Mammals of South Africa" Book Fund |year=1951 |location=Johannesburg |pages=203–208 |language=en}}</ref>
|[[Cape Province]], South Africa<ref name="Hollister-1915" />
|----
|''I. s. albescens''
|Heller, 1913
|White patterns on the back very extensive, with the black parts of the nape and shoulders reduced to thin stripes.<ref name="Heller-1913">{{Cite journal |last=Heller |first=Edmund |date=1913-09-16 |title=New Antelopes and Carnivores from British East Africa |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/201653 |journal=Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections |volume=61 |pages=1–15 |issn=0096-8749}}</ref>
|Summit of Mount Lololokwi, Kenya<ref name="Heller-1913" />
|-
|''I. s. arenarius''
|Roberts, 1924
|Smaller and has larger ears than the nominate subspecies, with broader and pure white stripes (instead of buffy white like some other subspecies).<ref name="Roberts-1951" /><ref name="Roberts-1924">{{Cite journal |last=Roberts |first=Austen |date=1924 |title=Some additions to the list of South African mammals |url=https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.10520/AJA00411752_727 |journal=Annals of the Transvaal Museum |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=59–76 |doi=10.10520/AJA00411752_727 |doi-broken-date=22 March 2025 |issn=0041-1752}}</ref>
|[[Lambert's Bay]], South Africa
|-
|''I. s. elgonis''
|Granvik, 1924
|
|
|-
|''I. s. erythreae''
|de Winton, 1898
|Smaller than the nominate subspecies, with similar coloration to it, but the black dorsal stripes are narrower over the loins and the white patch under the mouth is more extensive in this subspecies.<ref name="de Winton-1898">{{Cite journal |last=de Winton |first=W.E. |date=1898 |title=On a small collection of mammals made by Mr. C. V. A. Peel in Somaliland |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15627880 |journal=Annals and Magazine of Natural History |language=en |volume=1 |issue=3 |pages=247–251 |doi=10.1080/00222939808677962 |issn=0374-5481}}</ref><ref name="Anderson-1902">{{Cite book |last=Anderson |first=John |url=https://archive.org/details/zoologyegypt2ande/page/239/mode/1up |title=Zoology of Egypt |publisher=London : B. Quaritch |others=Museum of Comparative Zoology Harvard University |year=1902 |volume=2, Mammalia |pages=239–242}}</ref>
|Habr Heshi, Somaliland<ref name="de Winton-1898" />
|-
|''I. s. ghansiensis''
|Roberts, 1932
|Similar to ''I. s. arenarius'' but with more white on the back due to the narrower black stripes, and a wider skull.<ref name="Roberts-1951" /><ref name="Roberts-1932">{{Cite journal |last=Roberts |first=Austin |date=1932 |title=Preliminary description of fifty-seven new forms of South African mammals |url=https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.10520/AJA00411752_616 |journal=Annals of the Transvaal Museum |volume=15 |issue=1 |pages=1–19 |doi=10.10520/AJA00411752_616 |doi-broken-date=22 March 2025 |issn=0041-1752}}</ref>
|Gemsbok Pan, South Africa<ref name="Roberts-1932" />
|-
|''I. s. giganteus''
|Roberts, 1932
|Much larger than ''I. s. kalaharicus'', with clearly defined black dorsal stripes (though narrower than in the nominate subspecies), and the hind half of the tail is black.<ref name="Roberts-1951" /><ref name="Roberts-1932" />
|[[Shorobe]], Botswana<ref name="Roberts-1932" />
|-
|''I. s. intermedius''
|Anderson and de Winton, 1902
|Smaller than ''I. s. senegalensis'', white patterns on the frontal and in front of the ears commonly merge.<ref name="Anderson-1902" />
|Lado, near [[Gondokoro]], South Sudan<ref name="Anderson-1902" />
|-
|''I. s. kalaharicus''
|Roberts, 1932
|The white dorsal stripes are very broad, reducing the black stripes to narrow lines over the shoulder, leaving them clearly visible only behind the shoulders. Hind half of the tail is black.<ref name="Roberts-1951" /><ref name="Roberts-1932" />
|Kuke Pan, Central Kalahari, Botswana<ref name="Roberts-1932" />
|-
|''I. s. lancasteri''
|Roberts, 1932
|Has broad black dorsal stripes, and unlike in other southern African subspecies the white dorsal stripes connect to the white frontal spot.<ref name="Roberts-1932" />
|[[Choma, Zambia]]<ref name="Roberts-1932" />
|-
|''I. s. limpopoensis''
|Roberts, 1917
|Has very defined back stripes and very little white on the tail (only at the tip) compared to the nominate subspecies, with a small and almost circular frontal spot.<ref name="Roberts-1951" /><ref name="Roberts-1917">{{Cite journal |last=Roberts |first=Austin |date=1917-05-01 |title=Fourth supplementary list of mammals in the collection of the Transvaal Museum |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/352229 |journal=Annals of the Transvaal Museum |volume=5 |issue=4 |pages=263–278 |issn=0041-1752}}</ref>
|Mooivlei, South Africa<ref name="Roberts-1917" />
|-
|''I. s. maximus''
|Roberts, 1924
|Larger than the other South African subspecies, particularly in the skull and teeth, with creamy white stripes like the nominate subspecies.<ref name="Roberts-1951" /><ref name="Roberts-1924" />
|[[Wakkerstroom]], South Africa<ref name="Roberts-1924" />
|-
|''I. s. obscuratus''
|de Beaux, 1924
|Similar to ''I. s. shoae'' in size and coloration, but with more white on the back (due to narrower black stripes) and shorter fur.<ref name="De Beaux-1924">{{Cite journal |last=De Beaux |first=Oscar |date=1924 |title=Mammiferi della Somalia Italiana. Descrizione di due nuove sottospecie di carnivori e di una nuove sottospecie di Antilope |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/325620 |journal=Atti della Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale in Milano |volume=63 |pages=1–9 |issn=0037-8844}}</ref>
|[[Luuq]], Somalia<ref name="De Beaux-1924" />
|-
|''I. s. orangiae''
|Roberts, 1924
|Smaller than the nominate subspecies, with narrower white stripes and a discontinuous inner stripe broken in the middle of the back and on the rump.<ref name="Roberts-1951" /><ref name="Roberts-1924" />
|Angra Pequina, south of [[Bothaville]], South Africa<ref name="Roberts-1924" />
|-
|''I. s. ovamboensis''
|Roberts, 1951
|Intermediate in size between ''I. s. kalaharicus'' and ''I. s. giganteus'', but with smaller upper [[carnassial]] and molar teeth. Tail is largely black, and the black dorsal stripes are clearly defined.<ref name="Roberts-1951" />
|[[Oshikango]], Namibia<ref name="Roberts-1951" />
|-
|''I. s. pretoriae''
|Roberts, 1924
|Similar to ''I. s. orangiae'' but with larger upper [[carnassial teeth]] and scantier fur on the underside.<ref name="Roberts-1951" /><ref name="Roberts-1924" />
|[[Boekenhoutfontein]], South Africa<ref name="Roberts-1924" />
|-
|''I. s. senegalensis''
|Fischer, 1829
|White patterns wider than in the nominate subspecies.<ref name="Fischer-1829" />
|Senegal<ref name="Fischer-1829" />
|-
|''I. s. shoae''
|Thomas, 1906
|Slightly larger than the nominate subspecies, with a tail less white and a larger frontal spot.<ref name="Thomas-1906">{{Cite journal |last=Thomas |first=Oldfield |date=1906 |title=XLI.—New mammals collected in North-East Africa by Mr. Zaphiro, and presented to the British Museum by W. N. McMillan, Esq |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/60122 |journal=The Annals and Magazine of Natural History; Zoology, Botany, and Geology |volume=18 |issue=106 |pages=300–306 |doi=10.1080/00222930608562614 |issn=0374-5481}}</ref>
|[[Addis Ababa]], Ethiopia<ref name="Thomas-1906" />
|-
|''I. s. shortridgei''
|Roberts, 1932
|Very large subspecies, the black dorsal stripes are narrower in the front part of the body, tail is whiter than in the South African subspecies.<ref name="Roberts-1951" /><ref name="Roberts-1932" />
|Maschi River at the border of the [[Caprivi Strip]], Namibia<ref name="Roberts-1932" />
|-
|}

===Evolution===
[[File:Ictonyx striatus - Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria - Genoa, Italy - DSC02692.JPG|alt=Mounted specimen of an animal with dark brown fur and white stripes placed on a green platform|[[Taxidermied]] specimen of a striped polecat displayed in the [[Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria]], [[Genoa]], Italy |right|thumb]]
The striped polecat is the [[type species]] of the genus ''[[Ictonyx]]'', and belongs to the subfamily [[Ictonychinae]] (which the genus lends its name to) within the family [[Mustelidae]].<ref name="Kaup-1835" /><ref name="Pocock-1921">{{Cite journal |last=Pocock |first=R. I. |date=1921 |title=On the External Characters and Classification of the Mustelidae |url=https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1921.tb03292.x |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |language=en |volume=91 |issue=4 |pages=803–837 |doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.1921.tb03292.x |issn=0370-2774}}</ref> Members of Ictonychinae can be split into two [[Tribe (biology)|tribes]], namely Ictonychini and Lyncodontini. This species is part of the former tribe, which it shares with the [[African striped weasel]], [[Saharan striped polecat]] and [[marbled polecat]]. It has been shown via [[genetic analysis]] that the closest living relative of the striped polecat is the African striped weasel, with multiple studies recovering the two as sister taxa.<ref name="Koepfli-2008">{{Cite journal |last1=Koepfli |first1=Klaus-Peter |last2=Deere |first2=Kerry A |last3=Slater |first3=Graham J |last4=Begg |first4=Colleen |last5=Begg |first5=Keith |last6=Grassman |first6=Lon |last7=Lucherini |first7=Mauro |last8=Veron |first8=Geraldine |last9=Wayne |first9=Robert K |date=2008 |title=Multigene phylogeny of the Mustelidae: Resolving relationships, tempo and biogeographic history of a mammalian adaptive radiation |journal=BMC Biology |language=en |volume=6 |issue=1 |page=10 |doi=10.1186/1741-7007-6-10 |doi-access=free |issn=1741-7007 |pmc=2276185 |pmid=18275614}}</ref><ref name="Sato-2012">{{Cite journal |last1=Sato |first1=Jun J. |last2=Wolsan |first2=Mieczyslaw |last3=Prevosti |first3=Francisco J. |last4=D’Elía |first4=Guillermo |last5=Begg |first5=Colleen |last6=Begg |first6=Keith |last7=Hosoda |first7=Tetsuji |last8=Campbell |first8=Kevin L. |last9=Suzuki |first9=Hitoshi |date=2012 |title=Evolutionary and biogeographic history of weasel-like carnivorans (Musteloidea) |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221696505 |journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution |language=en |volume=63 |issue=3 |pages=745–757 |bibcode=2012MolPE..63..745S |doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2012.02.025 |issn=1055-7903 |pmid=22410652 |hdl=11336/67833|hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Gray-2022">{{Cite journal |last1=Gray |first1=Autumn |last2=Brito |first2=José C. |last3=Edwards |first3=Cody W. |last4=Figueiró |first4=Henrique V. |last5=Koepfli |first5=Klaus-Peter |date=2022-11-02 |title=First complete mitochondrial genome of the Saharan striped polecat (''Ictonyx libycus'') |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365322796 |journal=Mitochondrial DNA Part B |language=en |volume=7 |issue=11 |pages=1957–1960 |doi=10.1080/23802359.2022.2141080 |issn=2380-2359 |pmc=9665073 |pmid=36386018}}</ref> A study published in 2008 proposed that the lineages of these two species diverged between 2.7 and 2.2 million years ago, whereas a later study from 2012 suggested an earlier date between 4.3 and 3.4 million years ago for this divergence.<ref name="Koepfli-2008" /><ref name="Sato-2012" /> The following [[cladogram]] shows the position of the striped polecat among its closest living relatives according to Gray ''et al.'' (2022):<ref name="Gray-2022" />
{{clade
|{{clade
 |1=''[[Galictis vittata]]'' (Greater grison)
 |2={{clade
  |1=''[[Vormela peregusna]]'' (Marbled polecat)
  |2={{clade
   |1=''[[Ictonyx libycus]]'' (Saharan striped polecat)
   |2={{clade
    |1='''''Ictonyx striatus''''' (Striped polecat)
    |2=''[[Poecilogale albinucha]]'' (African striped weasel)
}} }} }} }}|label1=[[Ictonychinae]]}}

The Saharan striped polecat is sometimes placed in the genus ''Ictonyx'' along with the striped polecat, whereas the African striped weasel is the only species assigned to the genus ''[[Poecilogale]]''. Such placements would make ''Ictonyx'' a [[paraphyletic]] grouping, so some authors suggest placing the Saharan striped polecat in a genus called ''[[Poecilictis]]'' instead, making ''Ictonyx'' a [[monotypic genus]] containing only the striped polecat.<ref name="Sato-2012" /><ref name="Gray-2022" />

Fossilized remains of striped polecats have been discovered in several [[Pleistocene]]-aged localities in South Africa, such as [[Die Kelders]] Cave, [[Blombos Cave]], and a fissure fill in [[Swartklip]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Klein |first1=Richard G. |last2=Cruz-Uribe |first2=Kathryn |date=2000 |title=Middle and Later Stone Age large mammal and tortoise remains from Die Kelders Cave 1, Western Cape Province, South Africa |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/12687740 |journal=Journal of Human Evolution |language=en |volume=38 |issue=1 |pages=169–195 |bibcode=2000JHumE..38..169K |doi=10.1006/jhev.1999.0355 |issn=0047-2484 |pmid=10627402|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Henshilwood |first1=C. S. |last2=Sealy |first2=J. C. |last3=Yates |first3=R. |last4=Cruz-Uribe |first4=K. |last5=Goldberg |first5=P. |last6=Grine |first6=F. E. |last7=Klein |first7=R. G. |last8=Poggenpoel |first8=C. |last9=van Niekerk |first9=K. |last10=Watts |first10=I. |date=2001-04-01 |title=Blombos Cave, Southern Cape, South Africa: Preliminary Report on the 1992–1999 Excavations of the Middle Stone Age Levels |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0305440300906381 |journal=Journal of Archaeological Science |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=421–448 |doi=10.1006/jasc.2000.0638 |bibcode=2001JArSc..28..421H |issn=0305-4403|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Klein |first=Richard G. |date=1975 |title=Paleoanthropological Implications of the Nonarcheological Bone Assemblage from Swartklip I, South-Western Cape Province, South Africa |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/quaternary-research/article/abs/paleoanthropological-implications-of-the-nonarcheological-bone-assemblage-from-swartklip-i-southwestern-cape-province-south-africa/27EC82614E8D1A4C4052C1AD9F306EB4 |journal=Quaternary Research |language=en |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=275–288 |doi=10.1016/0033-5894(75)90029-0 |bibcode=1975QuRes...5..275K |issn=0033-5894|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Among the oldest specimens originate from the Sea Harvest Site in [[Saldanha Bay]], and likely date back to a cooler phase of the [[Last Interglacial]], between 128,000 and 74,000 years ago.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Grine |first1=Frederick E. |last2=Klein |first2=Richard G. |date=1993 |title=Late Pleistocene human remains from the Sea Harvest site, Saldanha Bay, South Africa |url=https://journals.co.za/doi/10.10520/AJA00382353_9146 |journal=South African Journal of Science |volume=89 |issue=3 |pages=145–152 |doi=10.10520/AJA00382353_9146 |doi-broken-date=23 March 2025 |issn=0038-2353}}</ref> An extinct species known from fossils was formerly assigned to the genus ''Ictonyx'' and given the name ''Ictonyx bolti'' in 1985, as it was believed at the time that the striped polecat is its closest living relative.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cooke |first=Herbert Basil Sutton |date=1985 |title=''Ictonyx bolti'', a new mustelid from cave breccias at Bolt's farm, Sterkfontein area, South Africa |journal=South African Journal of Science |volume=81 |pages=618–619 |issn=0038-2353 |s2cid=88914277}}</ref> However, further analysis of its remains has shown that it is more closely related to the African striped weasel, so in 1987 this species was moved to its own separate genus named ''[[Propoecilogale]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Petter |first=Germaine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DrhzQgAACAAJ |title=Laetoli: a pliocene site in Northern Tanzania |date=1987 |publisher=Clarendon Pr |isbn=978-0-19-854441-8 |editor-last=Leakey |editor-first=Mary D. |series=Oxford science publications |location=Oxford |chapter=Small carnivores (Viverridae, Mustelidae, Canidae) from Laetoli |editor-last2=Harris |editor-first2=John Michael}}</ref>

==Physical characteristics==
[[File:African polecat walking in leaves - DPLA - 0ed6772dc4c09626856a1a70a7fddb7c.jpg|alt=An animal with black fur and white stripes walking on leaves as viewed from slightly above|A striped polecat seen from a slightly raised perspective, with the stripes running down its back clearly visible|right|thumb]]
The striped polecat is a small mammal, growing about {{convert|30|–|38|cm|abbr=on}} in length excluding the tail (which adds an additional {{convert|22|–|30|cm|abbr=on}}), and weighing from {{convert|0.7|to|1.4|kg|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Kingdon-1997" /> This species exhibits [[sexual dimorphism]] in size, with males being the larger of the two sexes and weighing about 50% more than the females. The specific [[animal coloration|coloring]] varies by location. Generally the striped polecat is primarily black, with a wide white band at the back of the head which splits into four white stripes extending down the animal's back and towards the tail. The underside and limbs are entirely black.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /> Both black and white colouration is present on the tail, with the base generally being black, but the colour proportion is variable between individuals of the species.<ref name="Skinner-2005">{{cite book |author=Skinner |first1=J.D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iqwEYkTDZf4C&pg=PA504 |title=The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion |last2=Chimimba |first2=Christian T. |publisher=Cambridge University Press. |year=2005 |isbn=9780521844185 |location=Cambridge |pages=504–510 |name-list-style=amp}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Hoath |first=Richard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3A8CAwAAQBAJ |title=A Field Guide to the Mammals of Egypt |publisher=The American University in Cairo Press |year=2009 |isbn=9789774162541 |location=Egypt |pages=84}}</ref> The head is mostly black, with two large white cheek patches stretching from below the ears to the back of the eyes, a white spot on the forehead, and white fringes on the ears, though the exact extent and size of these facial patterns is also highly variable.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /><ref name="Kingdon-1984">{{Cite book |last=Kingdon |first=Jonathan |url=https://archive.org/details/eastafricanmamma0000jkin/page/71/mode/1up? |title=East African mammals : an atlas of evolution in Africa |date=1984 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-43718-7 |location=Chicago |pages=71–77}}</ref><ref name="Rosevear-1974">{{Cite book |last=Rosevear |first=Donovan Reginald |url=https://archive.org/details/carnivoresofwest00rose/page/95/mode/1up |title=The carnivores of West Africa |publisher=Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History) |others=London Natural History Museum Library |year=1974 |isbn=978-0565007232 |location=London |pages=95–104}}</ref> The cheek patches and the forehead spot are usually distinctly separate, but may be merged into a single white band in some West African individuals.<ref name="Rosevear-1974" /> Like many other mustelids, the striped polecat possesses glands near its anus which can expel a noxious fluid when it feels threatened, and its distinctive patterns are an example of [[aposematic]] colouration, serving as a warning to potential predators.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Newman |first1=C. |last2=Buesching |first2=C. D. |last3=Wolff |first3=J. O. |date=2005 |title=The function of facial masks in 'midguild' carnivores |url=https://nsojournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0030-1299.2005.13399.x |journal=Oikos |language=en |volume=108 |issue=3 |pages=623–633 |doi=10.1111/j.0030-1299.2005.13399.x |issn=1600-0706|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

[[File:Zorilla paws.jpg|alt=Drawing of two animal paws|Illustration depicting the undersides of the hind (on the left) and front (on the right) right paws|thumb]]
The [[fur]] on the back of a striped polecat is silky and long, growing {{convert|50|–|60|mm|abbr=on}} in length, while the fur on the head is shorter and only {{convert|6|–|7|mm|abbr=on}}. The tail fur is particularly long, reaching {{convert|70|–|80|mm|abbr=on}}, giving the tail a bushy appearance. All claws and [[Digit (anatomy)|digits]] touch the ground when the animal is walking, and their impressions can be seen in the footprints. Five digits are present on each of the four limbs, with each digit bearing a claw. The claws of the front limbs are longer and more curved than those of the hind limbs, with the former growing about {{convert|18|mm|abbr=on}} while the latter tend to only measure {{convert|10|mm|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /><ref name="Skinner-2005" /> The front paws are larger than the hind paws, and the soles of all four paws are hairless.<ref name="Rosevear-1974" /> Each paw is narrow and most of the digits are spread wide apart, though the third and fourth digits of each hind paw are close together. Every digit has an oval-shaped pad, and each paw has a four-lobed pad forming a shape with a notch in the back, with each front paw having two additional carpal pads on the wrist area. All of these pads have coarse grooves.<ref name="Pocock-1921" />

{{multiple image
| direction         = horizontal
| align             = left
| total_width       = 400
| image1            = Ictonyx striatus 02 MWNH 120.jpg
| alt1              = Skull of an animal viewed from the left
| image2            = Ictonyx striatus 01 MWNH 120.jpg
| alt2              = Skull of an animal viewed from the front
| image3            = Ictonyx striatus 03 MWNH 120.jpg
| alt3              = Skull of an animal viewed from the right
| footer            = Skull of a striped polecat as seen from multiple perspectives
}}
The skull is heavily built, with a [[braincase]] that is wide at the back and becomes narrower towards the front, and a short, blunt snout. The [[palate]] is also wide in its hind portion, becoming narrower past where the [[molar teeth]] are. The eyes are located near the front of the head, with the distance between the front edges of the eye sockets and the tip of the [[maxilla]] being only a quarter the length of the entire skull. There is no [[sagittal crest]] in this species, though two low ridges serving as attachments for the [[temporalis muscle]]s are visible from the [[supraoccipital]] crests (at the back of the skull) to the [[postorbital processes]] (behind the eye sockets). The [[auditory bullae]] (bony structures containing the middle and inner ears) are wide and flat, and the [[zygomatic arches]] (arch-like bones in the cheeks) are wider at their bases than at their centers. The [[dentition]] has a [[dental formula]] of {{DentalFormula|upper=3.1.3.1|lower=3.1.3.2}}, that is, three [[incisor]]s, one [[Canine tooth|canine]] and three [[premolar]]s in each half of either jaw, with each half of the upper jaw having one molar while that of the lower jaw has two, giving a total of 34 teeth. The canines are short and robust, with the lower canines bending backwards at their tips, and the outer incisors of the upper jaw are longer than the inner incisors, being used alongside the canines to subdue prey. The molars have broad grinding surfaces, allowing the animal to crush food, especially insects.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /><ref name="Skinner-2005" />

==Distribution and habitat==
[[File:Ictonyx striatus 10897825.jpg|alt=Photo of a black animal with white stripes walking on sandy ground under a dark night sky|Wild striped polecat seen in [[Cape Town]], South Africa|right|thumb]]
[[Endemic]] to Africa, the striped polecat is an adaptable animal and very widespread across the continent. It inhabits most of [[Sub-Saharan Africa]], ranging from [[Mauritania]] across to southeastern [[Egypt]] in the north, and stretching down south to [[South Africa]].<ref name="iucn status 11 November 2021" /> However, it is absent from the dense rainforests of [[West Africa]] and the [[Congo Basin]], as well as the dry areas of northeast [[Somalia]] and [[Ethiopia]].<ref name="Skinner-2005" /> Even so, the species shows a tolerance for many types of habitats, occurring in [[grassland]]s, forests, rocky areas, and deserts.<ref name="iucn status 11 November 2021" /><ref name="Stuart-2014">{{Cite book |last1=Stuart |first1=C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BkvrDwAAQBAJ |title=Mammals of Africa: Volume V: Carnivores, Pangolins, Equids and Rhinoceroses |last2=Stuart |first2=T. |publisher=A&C Black |year=2014 |isbn=978-1-4081-8994-8 |editor-last=Kingdon |editor-first=Jonathan |location=London |pages=92–97 |language=en |chapter=''Ictonyx striatus'' Zorilla |editor-last2=Hoffmann |editor-first2=Michael}}</ref> It can inhabit dry areas if scrub cover is present, having been recorded from the [[hummock]]s and sand dunes of the [[Namib Desert]], but can also be found in regions with high rainfall.<ref name="Skinner-2005" /> It appears to have a preference for open environments, possibly because the exposure makes other small carnivores vulnerable to predation (especially from [[birds of prey]]), whereas the striped polecat can defend itself with its noxious spray, thus reducing competition.<ref name="Kingdon-1984" /> Most often, it is found in habitats with large [[ungulate]] populations, because of the lower level of shrubs where these grazers occur.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Blaum |first1=Niels |last2=Rossmanith |first2=Eva |last3=Popp |first3=Alexander |last4=Jeltsch |first4=Florian |date=2007 |title=Shrub encroachment affects mammalian carnivore abundance and species richness in semiarid rangelands |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1146609X06001214 |journal=Acta Oecologica |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=86–92 |doi=10.1016/j.actao.2006.10.004 |bibcode=2007AcO....31...86B |issn=1146-609X|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The striped polecat occurs in a wide range of elevations, from [[sea level]] up to as high as {{convert|4180|m|abbr=on}} above sea level as evidenced by sightings on [[Mount Kenya]].<ref name="iucn status 11 November 2021" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Young |first1=Truman P. |last2=Evans |first2=Matthew R. |date=1993 |title=Alpine vertebrates of Mount Kenya, with particular notes on the Rock Hyrax |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256265700 |journal=Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society and National Museum |volume=82 |pages=55–79 |doi=10.5962/p.201581 |issn=0012-8317}}</ref> It is not confined to natural environments and is even known to enter areas developed by human activity such as [[plantation]]s and gardens.<ref name="iucn status 11 November 2021" /><ref name="Smithers-1971" />

==Behaviour and biology==
[[File:Zorilla pair.jpg|alt=Monochrome photo of two black animals with white stripes facing each other|Though mostly solitary, striped polecats sometimes occur in pairs|left|thumb]]
The striped polecat is a generally [[Solitary animal|solitary]] creature, though it may sometimes be seen in pairs, and groups consisting of more than two individuals are often small family groups consisting of a mother and her young. Males and females mostly remain separate and tolerate each other's presence during mating, whereas adult males are hostile towards one another.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /> Multiple family groups can reportedly be kept together in captivity with minimal conflict and even groom each other, suggesting they are not exclusively territorial.<ref name="Kingdon-1997" /> Several studies published from 1971 onwards have stated that striped polecat populations show male-biased [[sex ratio]]s, with the male to female ratios ranging from 1.61:1 in [[KwaZulu-Natal]] to 3.3:1 in the former [[Cape Province]].<ref name="Smithers-1971" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Rowe-Rowe |first=D. T. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=chonAAAACAAJ |title=The Carnivores of Natal |publisher=Natal Parks Board |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-620-16629-4 |location=Pietermaritzburg |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stuart |first=C.T. |date=1981 |title=Notes on the mammalian carnivores of the Cape Province, South Africa |url=http://www.stuartonnature.com/resources/Scientific_papers/20_Jan_2016/Stuart_1981_Mammalian_carnivores_-_Cape_Province.pdf |journal=Bontebok |volume=1 |pages=1–58 |issn=0256-9175}}</ref> This may be because the males are more active and willing to approach unfamiliar objects, making them more easily surveyed.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /><ref name="Stuart-2014" />

The species walks with a gait similar to that of a skunk, with its back slightly arched and tail extending horizontally in line with the body while trotting slowly. Though capable of swimming and climbing trees, it tends to avoid doing either.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /><ref name="Kingdon-1984" /> It is [[nocturnal]], hunting mostly at night and retreating to rest during the day. Resting areas include [[burrow]]s, gaps underneath buildings and rocks, hollow logs, and even tree branches up to {{convert|3|m|abbr=on}} above the ground. This animal is a powerful digger, using the claws on its front limbs excavate its own burrows, though it often inhabits burrows made by other animals instead.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /><ref name="Shortridge-1934">{{Cite book |last=Shortridge |first=Guy Chester |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8S9BAAAAYAAJ |title=The Mammals of South West Africa: A Biological Account of the Forms Occurring in that Region |date=1934 |publisher=W. Heinemann |location=London |language=en}}</ref> Burrow usage is often temporary, though mothers with young tend to stick to one burrow unless there is disturbance.<ref name="Kingdon-1984" />

===Reproduction===
The [[breeding season]] of the striped polecat has a long duration, though the exact time of year varies between different populations. In [[KwaZulu-Natal]], it lasts from spring to the end of summer, with the [[testes]] of the male remaining large from September to April (spring to early autumn) and being shrunken for the rest of the year.<ref name="Rowe-Rowe-1978a" /> Elsewhere in South Africa, juveniles and pregnant females have been recorded in April and from September to December.<ref name="Stuart-2014" /> In the area around [[Lake Chad]], young individuals have been seen from September to November, suggesting the local population breeds during the [[rainy season]].<ref name="Rosevear-1974" /> Sightings of juveniles in [[East Africa]] are reported in the months of February, June, September and October.<ref name="Kingdon-1984" /> Striped polecats kept in zoos (specifically the [[National Zoological Park (United States)|National Zoological Park]], [[Toronto Zoo]] and [[Wilhelma]]) have been recorded giving birth throughout the year, suggesting that in captivity there is no restriction on the breeding period.<ref name="Ball-1978">{{Cite journal |last=Ball |first=Marion P. |date=1978 |title=Reproduction in captive-born zorillas ''Ictonyx striatus'' at the National Zoological Park, Washington |url=https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/11094 |journal=International Zoo Yearbook |language=en |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=140–143 |doi=10.1111/j.1748-1090.1978.tb00245.x |hdl=10088/11094 |issn=1748-1090|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Though usually hostile towards males, a female will be more tolerant of them when she is receptive, crouching in front of males and allowing them to smell her [[vulva]], sometimes also taking a submissive stance with the neck extended, mouth open and head turned to the side. The male then pulls her into a covered area by the back of her neck. This process may repeat several times before [[Copulation (zoology)|copulation]] occurs, during which the male mounts the female, occasionally biting onto the back of her neck,  while his forelimbs are clasped around her [[lumbar area]] as she remains crouched. Copulation may last between 25 and 106 minutes, and throughout this duration the male thrusts his [[pelvis]] with pauses in between, while the female makes loud yapping and shrieking sounds. After conception, the [[gestation]] period for a striped polecat is about 36 days.<ref name="Rowe-Rowe-1978a" /> The female generally gives birth to one [[Litter (zoology)|litter]] per year of two to three young, but may breed more than once if the litter is lost early.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /> When giving birth, the mother lies on her side, regularly licking her genital area while one hind leg is raised. She licks and noses each newborn right after it is born, and ignores it while she delivers the remaining young.<ref name="Ball-1978" /> The mother protects her young until they are able to survive on their own.<ref name="Stuart and Stuart 2001 132">{{cite book |author=Stuart |first1=Chris |title=Field Guide to Mammals of Southern Africa |last2=Stuart |first2=Tilde |publisher=Struik Publishing |year=2001 |isbn=978-1868725373 |location=Cape Town |pages=132 |name-list-style=amp}}</ref>

The newborns are [[altricial]] and completely vulnerable; they are born blind, deaf, and almost hairless.<ref name="Ball-1978" /><ref name="Estes 1991">{{cite book |last=Estes |first=Richard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g977LsZHpcsC&pg=PA429 |title=The Behavior Guide to African Mammals: Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates |publisher=University of California Press |year=2012 |isbn=978-0520272972 |location=Berkeley and Los Angeles |pages=429–433}}</ref> They are only {{convert|110|-|115|mm|abbr=on}} long and weigh about {{convert|15|g|abbr=on}} at birth, and while eye slits and external ear flaps are visible, both are closed. They appear mostly pink because their skin is visible, though dark stripes are already visible at this age. The mother carries her newborns in her mouth by their shoulders or back, and when they reach three weeks old she lifts them by the [[Scruff (anatomy)|scruff]] of the neck instead. At an age of ten days, white hair grows to cover the young, and they begin crawling short distances. The distinctive black and white stripes become visible between 19 and 21 days after birth, and at 39 days they start to walk. The eyes start to open when they are 35 days old, and are fully open after another week. Lower [[Milk teeth|milk]] [[canine teeth]] erupt at 32 days, at which point the young begin eating the soft parts of prey killed by their mother, and permanent canines grow in before the milk canines are all shed. Young which have begun eating solid food would suckle less, and by an age of eight weeks they were [[weaned]].<ref name="Rowe-Rowe-1978a" />

===Defense mechanisms===
[[File:Addo zorilla.jpg|alt=Monochrome photo of a black animal with white stripes seen at night, with its back arched and tail curled above it|Wild striped polecat performing a threat display in [[Addo Elephant National Park]], South Africa|right|thumb]]
When threatened, the striped polecat commonly flees by quickly entering its burrow. If unable to do so, it will take a [[deimatic]] (threat display) stance with its back arched, rear end facing the opponent, and tail straight up in the air or curled over its back, sometimes making a squeal-like noise.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /> If the threat has still not been warded off, the polecat will spray a foul-smelling fluid from glands near its anus.<ref name="Skinner-2005" /> This fluid is made up of a light, yellow oil and a translucent, colourless water-like phase.<ref name="Stuart-2014" /> It is nauseating and very irritating to the eyes, serving as a defense against [[Predation|predators]], in a similar manner to skunks. The odour effectively repels most mammalian predators, though birds tend to be more tolerant of scents. Considering that the sprays of skunks repel hawks successfully, and that the striped polecat's spray likely has a similar composition, this method of defence may still work against birds of prey.<ref name="Kingdon-1984" />

On occasion, the striped polecat has been reported to [[feign death]] when faced by predators. When doing so, it lies limp on the ground with its back facing upwards, displaying its stripes to the threats. This patterning is an example of [[aposematism]], warning that the polecat can defend itself with its spray and that it tastes foul. The noxious spray contaminates some of the animal's fur, especially that of the tail, deterring any predators which try to bite it while it feigns death.<ref name="Kingdon-1984" /> A striped polecat may continue feigning death for over 30 minutes while waiting for its attacker to lose interest and leave.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /><ref name="Shortridge-1934" />

===Communication===
Striped polecats have been known to communicate with each other using myriad verbal signals and calls. Growls act as a warning to possible predators, competitors, or other enemies to back off. High-amplitude screams have been observed as signifying situations of high aggression, sometimes preceding the spraying of anal emissions or combat. An undulating high- to low-pitched scream has been used to convey surrender or submission to an adversary. This call has been noted to accompany the subsequent release of the loser. Conversely, a faster, lower-amplitude undulating call has been interpreted as functioning as a friendly salutation. Mating calls are common forms of communication between the sexes. Young polecats often have a specific set of calls and signals, used in adolescence, either signifying distress when separated from their mother or to contact her when she enters their shared burrow.<ref name="Estes 1991"/><ref>{{cite journal |author=Channing |first1=Alan |last2=Rowe-Rowe |first2=D.T. |date=1977 |title=Vocalizations of South African Mustelines |journal=Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=283–293 |doi=10.1111/j.1439-0310.1977.tb00996.x |issn=0044-3573 |pmid=930442|bibcode=1977Ethol..44..283C }}</ref>

[[Visual communication]] is also used by the striped polecat. When angered or startled, the hair on its back and tail automatically become erect, making the animal appear larger. During friendly interactions with others of its kind, a striped polecat presents its black underbelly, contrasting how it displays the stripes on its back when threatened.<ref name="Kingdon-1984" /><ref name="Estes 1991" /> [[Olfactic communication]] involving the fluids of the anal glands likely also plays a part in regulating social interactions.<ref name="Kingdon-1997" />

==Ecology==
===Diet and feeding===
Like other [[mustelid]]s, the striped polecat is a [[predator]]. It has 34 sharp teeth which are optimal for shearing flesh and grinding meat, and a broad [[generalist diet]] which includes various small animals. It can hunt by both vision and smell, and may dig into soil or dung to reach burrowing prey.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /> Analysis of stomach contents has shown that across its range, [[insect]]s are the most important component of its diet, followed by [[Muridae|murid]] rodents and then [[reptile]]s, though more reptiles than rodents may be eaten in arid regions. Plant material may also be consumed, as evidenced by some seeds (possibly ground nuts) in the stomach of one individual, but this is much more rarely eaten than meat.<ref name="Rowe-Rowe-1978">{{Cite journal |last=Rowe-Rowe |first=D. T. |date=1978 |title=Comparative prey capture and food studies of South African mustelines |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/mamm.1978.42.2.175/html |journal=Mammalia |volume=42 |issue=2 |pages=175–196 |doi=10.1515/mamm.1978.42.2.175 |issn=0025-1461|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Most prey species taken are small, though larger animals up to the size of a [[hare]] are also eaten.<ref name="Kingdon-1997" /><ref name="Kingdon-1984" /> In one exceptional incident, a striped polecat attacked the newborn calf of a [[nyala]].<ref name="Stuart-2014" />

Prey may be captured on the ground or extracted from beneath the surface by digging, but the striped polecat does not attempt to catch prey in the air; if it sees a flying or jumping insect, it will go where the prey lands and capture it there. When searching for subterranean [[invertebrates]], the striped polecat pushes its snout into the soil and audibly sniffs, and uses its forelimbs to excavate its prey after detecting it. Most smaller vertebrate prey (including [[amphibian]]s, [[lizard]]s, birds and small rodents) is killed with a bite to the skull, sometimes while also pinning it down with one or both forelimbs (though this is never done for birds). Larger prey such as rats (whose skulls the polecat cannot bite through) tend to require pinning down with forelimbs and multiple bites to the neck, head or chest to dispatch, and the predator may even roll around or somersault while biting onto the neck. When preying on [[snake]]s, the striped polecat will bite the snake's back and briefly shake it vigorously before retreating, moving swiftly to avoid the snake's strikes. This is repeated four to five times to paralyze the prey, after which the polecat pins it down with its forelimbs and kills the reptile with a bite near the head.<ref name="Rowe-Rowe-1978" />

The striped polecat may carry prey in its mouth or drag larger prey backwards towards its den before eating, and if it has killed more prey than it needs, it may hoard some in its den. It commonly eats while in a crouched position, sometimes using its forelimbs to hold its food while doing so. Prey is usually eaten whole from the head first, though the feathers and legs of birds and the stomachs of rodents are sometimes left uneaten. One [[red-lipped snake]] was reportedly eaten tail first, possibly because the polecat could not distinguish which end was the head after the reptile died. Larger animals (including rats and [[mole snake]]s) are skinned before they are eaten from the shoulder or flank first.<ref name="Rowe-Rowe-1978" />

[[File:Zorilla dung.jpg|alt=Photo of a some dark-coloured animal droppings next to a human hand|left|thumb|Striped polecat [[feces]] found in [[Table Mountain National Park]], South Africa with a human hand for scale]]
Killing prey is an [[innate behaviour]], as evidenced by how young striped polecats reared in isolation can do so at the same age as those raised by their mothers, and using the same methods as wild adults.<ref name="Rowe-Rowe-1978a">{{Cite journal |last=Rowe-Rowe |first=D T |date=1978 |title=Reproduction and Post-Natal Development of South African Mustelines (Carnivora: Mustelidae) |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00445096.1978.11447609 |journal=Zoologica Africana |language=en |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=103–114 |doi=10.1080/00445096.1978.11447609 |issn=0044-5096}}</ref> However, egg breaking is not innate, and captive individuals often show little interest in unbroken [[chicken eggs]] or fail to break the shells, though they will lap up the contents of eggs and recognize them as food after learning to break them by biting or rolling them against hard objects. Although the striped polecat consumes most amphibians it encounters, it notably does not eat [[bufonid]] toads, likely as they are poisonous and unpalatable. The striped polecat has a high [[metabolic rate]] and a short gut between 3.2 and 4.3 times the length of its body (excluding the tail), such that food passes through quickly and is excreted via [[defecation]] about 165 minutes after consumption, and the animal must actively forage throughout the night to meet its energy requirements.<ref name="Rowe-Rowe-1978" />

This species does not drink water frequently, instead obtaining most of its required moisture through its food. When it does drink, it laps water up using its tongue. A male kept in a cage during winter for two weeks did not drink at all during this time, and only drank small amounts of water occasionally when the weather was hot. Captive females with nursing young have been observed dipping their necks or entire undersides into water during very hot weather, possibly to both cool themselves and carry water to their young.<ref name="Rowe-Rowe-1978" />

===Mortality and disease===
[[File:Zorilla roadkill.jpg|alt=Photo of a dead black animal with white stripes running down its back lying on its side on a road|right|thumb|[[Roadkill]] carcass of a striped polecat in Botswana]]
The lifespan of a striped polecat is short, commonly only four or five years in the wild, though captive individuals may survive for over 13 years.<ref name="Lariviere2002" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jones |first=M.L. |date=1982 |title=Longevity of captive mammals |url=http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/index.php?s=1&act=refs&CODE=ref_detail&id=1256467941 |journal=Zoologische Garten |volume=52 |issue=2 |pages=113–128 |issn=0044-5169}}</ref> Most predators avoid targeting this species due to its pungent and irritating spray, and it makes no effort to conceal itself when foraging, though domestic dogs do attack them.<ref name="Kingdon-1984" /> Multiple instances of [[brown hyena]]s attacking striped polecats have been recorded, but in only one did the hyena successfully kill its target. The hyena in this incident was a cub whose mother recently died and was likely struggling to find sufficient food, only eating the polecat out of desperation. Furthermore, only 0.3% of brown hyena feces contain striped polecat hair, indicating the hyenas rarely prey on this species.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mills |first=M. G. L. |url=https://archive.org/details/kalaharihyenasco0000mill/page/90/mode/1up |title=Kalahari hyenas : comparative behavioral ecology of two species |publisher=The Blackburn Press |year=1990 |isbn=978-1-930665-83-5 |location=Caldwell |pages=90–91}}</ref> Road collisions are a major cause of death for wild striped polecats. Multiple members of a family group often end up killed on roads as they do not leave the area when one member is run over. Compared to the bodies of other animals such as antelopes and hares, the carcasses of striped polecats attract very few [[scavenger]]s, with only [[vulture]]s occasionally feeding on them. Therefore, [[roadkill]] bodies of striped polecats tend to remain on the road for much greater durations.<ref name="Kingdon-1984" />

Two [[nematode]] species are known [[endoparasites]] of the striped polecat, namely ''[[Filaria martis]]'' and ''[[Hepaticofilaria pachycephalum]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Round |first=M. C. |url=https://archive.org/details/checklistofhelmi0000roun/page/116/mode/1up |title=Check list of the helminth parasites of African mammals of the orders Carnivora, Tubulidentata, Proboscidea, Hyracoidea, Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla |publisher=Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux |year=1968 |isbn=978-0-85198-001-0 |location=Farnham Royal |pages=116–117}}</ref> Dissections of 21 striped polecat carcasses from [[KwaZulu-Natal]] revealed that four of these individuals had parasitic nematodes in their stomachs.<ref name="Rowe-Rowe-1978" /> A [[malaria]]-causing parasite, ''[[Plasmodium roubaudi]]'', has been found in a striped polecat from [[Senegal]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Leger |first1=M. |last2=Bédier |first2=E. |date=1923 |title=''Plasmodium'' d'un Mustélidé, ''Ictonyx zorilla'', du Sénégal |trans-title=''Plasmodium'' of the mustelid ''Ictonyx zorilla'' in Senegal |url=https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/19231000222 |journal=Comptes Rendus des Séances de la Société de Biologie |language=fr |volume=88 |issue=6 |pages=422–424 |issn=0037-9026}}</ref> [[Rabies]] has also been recorded in this mustelid.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Adamson |first=J. S. |date=1954 |title=Ecology of rabies in Southern Rhodesia |journal=Bulletin of the World Health Organization |volume=10 |issue=5 |pages=753–759 |issn=0042-9686 |pmc=2542166 |pmid=13182596}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Thomas |first1=A.D. |last2=Neitz |first2=W.O. |date=1935 |title=Wild Carnivora as Carriers of Rabies |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/146642403505601205 |journal=Journal of the Royal Sanitary Institute |language=EN |volume=56 |issue=12 |pages=754–760 |doi=10.1177/146642403505601205 |issn=0370-7334|url-access=subscription }}</ref> [[Ixodid]] ticks are known exoparasites of this mammal, with the species ''[[Haemaphysalis zumpti]]'' and possibly ''[[Haemaphysalis leachi]]'' having been found on two individuals from South Africa.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Horak |first1=I. G. |last2=Braack |first2=L. E. |last3=Fourie |first3=L. J. |last4=Walker |first4=J. B. |date=2000 |title=Parasites of domestic and wild animals in South Africa. XXXVIII. Ixodid ticks collected from 23 wild carnivore species |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11206391 |journal=The Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research |volume=67 |issue=4 |pages=239–250 |issn=0030-2465 |pmid=11206391}}</ref>

===Predatory competition===
Throughout most of Africa, the [[ecological niche]]s of small carnivores are mostly occupied by [[mongoose]]s, and [[Genet (animal)|genets]] are also present, both of which show considerable overlap with the striped polecat in range and diet. Though competition with these animals could occur, the striped polecat may largely avoid this in having slightly different habits; its diet consist of more mammals and birds than those of mongooses, and less plant matter than those of genets. Another species of small mustelid, the [[African striped weasel]], coexists with the striped polecat, and tends to be the rarer of the two in regions where they overlap.<ref name="Kingdon-1984" /> However, the African striped weasel has a very specialized diet made up almost entirely of small rodents, with birds being taken occasionally, and will enter burrows to reach its prey. In contrast, the striped polecat has a more generalist diet which includes more insects and reptiles, and it catches rodents above ground. This [[niche partitioning]] reduces competition between these two mustelids.<ref name="Rowe-Rowe-1978" />

==Conservation==
[[File:African skunk fur-skin (striped polecat (Ictonyx striatus), also called the African polecat, zoril, zorille, zorilla, Cape polecat).jpg|alt=Skin of an animal with black fur and white stripes laid on a table with a measuring tape placed near it|Fur skin of a striped polecat|left|thumb]]
The first assessment done by the [[IUCN]] of the striped polecat was completed in 1996, which listed it as [[Least Concern]], and the same listing was given in subsequent assessments done in 2008 and 2015. Being very widespread across Africa and present in multiple protected areas, the organization concluded that this species faces no major threats.<ref name="iucn status 11 November 2021" /> Though sightings of it are rare, this can be attributed to its nocturnal habits, making it unlikely to cross paths with people.<ref name="Kingdon-1997" /> Collision with motor vehicles is one of the main threats this animal faces, likely causing more striped polecat deaths than any other factors in modern times. Easily tamed even as adults, humans sometimes collect this species as a pet, occasionally removing the fluid glands near the anus to make it more suitable as such, though there are also reports of this fluid being harvested for use as a perfume.<ref name="Kingdon-1984" /><ref name="Shortridge-1934" /> Some striped polecats are killed by humans for preying on [[poultry]], and increasing numbers of humans and [[free-ranging dog]]s in rural areas may be causing local population declines in this animal, but these threats are not believed to be significant to the species as a whole.<ref name="Stuart-2014" />

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ictonyx_striatus.html Ictonyx striatus] on the Animal Diversity Web
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101229090304/http://www.arkive.org/zorilla/ictonyx-striatus/ images of zorilla ''(Ictonyx striatus)''] at ARKive

{{Carnivora|M.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q226735}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:polecat, striped}}
[[Category:Ictonyx|striped polecat]]
[[Category:Mammals of Sub-Saharan Africa]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1810|striped polecat]]
[[Category:Taxa named by George Perry (naturalist)]]
[[Category:Aposematic species]]