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Habitat and Behaviour The Striped Polecat does not penetrate into
the Sahara, but occupies its fringes and adjacent arid zones. Strictly
nocturnal, it spends the daylight hours in burrows that it digs itself.
It is a poorly known species that eats small rodents, birds, reptiles
and a wide range of invertebrates. Like many other mustelids, it can
spray a foul-smelling fluid from the anal glands at an attacker. Births
are recorded as January–March, with litters of 2–3 young that weigh
about 5 g. The gestation period is given in a very wide range, which
may indicate that females can employ delayed implantation.
Distribution and Status This species occurs from Senegal and
Mauritania in the south-west, across Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya
and Egypt to north-east Sudan. It does not penetrate into the Sahara.
Conservation Areas None known.
STONE MARTEN Martes foina
Identification Also known as Beech Martens, these slender and agile
carnivores, with their longish bushy tails (about 25 cm) and prominent
ears, should not be mistaken for any other species, except perhaps for
the Pine Marten (M. martes) where ranges overlap. Their coat is soft
and uniformly light grey-brown, with a strong brown tint on the rump
that is much denser and has a distinct gloss in winter. The summer
coat is more drab. There is an irregular off-white to white throat patch.
Size Total length 85–110 cm.