1963, European polecat 3 Bulgarian Stotinki

European polecat  1963

1963, European polecat 3 Bulgarian Stotinki

Text: European polecat 3 CT 1963

Condition: Ø = used/cancelled

Title:   Marten

Face value:     3

Stamp Currency:       Bulgarian stotinka

Country/area:            Bulgaria

Year:   1963

Set:     1963 Animals

Stamp number in set:           1

Basic colour:  Olive

Exact colour: 

Usage:            Franking

Type:   Stamp

Theme:           Animals

Stamp subject:          

Michel number:         1379

Yvert number:                       1178

Scott number:           

Stanley Gibbons number:    

Printing office:            

Perforation:    line 11½

Printing:         Photogravure 

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European polecat

The European polecat (Mustela putorius) — also known as the black or forest polecat (as well as a host of other names) — is a species of mustelidnative to western Eurasia and North Africa. It is of a generally dark brown colour, with a pale underbelly and a dark mask across the face. Occasionally, colour mutations, including albinos and erythrists, occur.  Compared to minks and other weasels — also fellow members of the genus Mustela — the polecat has a shorter, more compact body a more powerfully built skull and dentition and is less agile.

It is much less territorial than other mustelids, with animals of the same sex frequently sharing home ranges.  Like other mustelids, the European polecat is polygamous, though pregnancy occurs directly after mating, with no induced ovulation.  It usually gives birth in early summer to litters consisting of five to 10 kits, which become independent at the age of two to three months. The European polecat feeds on small rodents, birds, amphibians and reptiles.  It occasionally cripples its prey by piercing its brain with its teeth and stores it, still living, in its burrow for future consumption.

The European polecat originated in Western Europe during the Middle Pleistocene, with its closest living relatives being the steppe polecat, the black-footed ferret and the European mink. With the two former species, it can produce fertile offspring, though hybrids between it and the latter species tend to be sterile, and are distinguished from their parent species by their larger size and more valuable pelts.

The European polecat is the sole ancestor of the ferret, which was domesticated more than 2000 years ago for the purpose of hunting vermin. The species has otherwise been historically viewed negatively by humans. In the British Isles especially, the polecat was persecuted by gamekeepers, and became synonymous with promiscuity in early English literature. During modern times, the polecat is still scantly represented in popular culture when compared to other rare British mammals, and misunderstandings of its behavior still persist in some rural areas. As of 2008, it is classed by the IUCN as Least Concern due to its wide range and large numbers.