Striped polecat
The striped polecat (Ictonyx striatus), also called the African polecat, zoril, zorille, zorilla, Cape polecat, and African skunk, is a member of the family Mustelidae that resembles a skunk (of the family Mephitidae). The name "zorilla" comes from the Spanish word "zorillo", meaning "skunk", itself a diminutive form of the Spanish "zorro," "fox." It lives predominantly in dry and arid climates, such as the savannahs and open country of Central, Southern, and sub-Saharan Africa, excluding the Congo basin and the more coastal areas of West Africa.
| Striped polecat | |
|---|---|
| Taxidermied specimen in the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria, Genoa | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Mustelidae |
| Genus: | Ictonyx |
| Species: | I. striatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Ictonyx striatus (Perry, 1810) | |
| Subspecies | |
|
(many) | |
| Striped polecat range | |
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