# Striped polecat (*Ictonyx striatus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/striped-polecat  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The striped polecat (Ictonyx striatus) is a species in the family Mustelidae, order Carnivora. Recorded adults weigh 811 g to 1.3 kg and live up to 13.3 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 811 g – 1.3 kg |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 13.3 years |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 14.4 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Gestation | 36.5 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2.17 |
| Age at maturity | 9.99 months – 12.9 months |
| Litters or clutches a year | 1 |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Lifestyle | Terrestrial |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Mammalia
- order: Carnivora
- family: Mustelidae
- genus: Ictonyx
- species: *Ictonyx striatus* (Perry, 1810)

Synonyms: *Bradypus striatus*, *Ictonyx striatus albescens*, *Ictonyx striatus arenarius*, *Ictonyx striatus elgonis*, *Ictonyx striatus erythreae*, *Ictonyx striatus ghansiensis*, *Ictonyx striatus giganteus*, *Ictonyx striatus intermedius*, *Ictonyx striatus kalaharicus*, *Ictonyx striatus lancasteri*, *Ictonyx striatus limpopoensis*, *Ictonyx striatus maximus*, *Ictonyx striatus obscuratus*, *Ictonyx striatus orangiae*, *Ictonyx striatus ovamboensis*, *Ictonyx striatus pretoriae*, *Ictonyx striatus senegalensis*, *Ictonyx striatus shoae*, *Ictonyx striatus shortridgei*, *Ictonyx striatus striatus*, *Mephitis capensis*, *Mustela zorilla senegalensis*, *Rhabdogale mustelina*

## Common questions

### How big is the striped polecat?

An adult striped polecat weighs 811 g – 1.3 kg, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

### Is the striped polecat endangered?

The striped polecat is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

### How long does the striped polecat live?

The striped polecat has a recorded lifespan of 13.3 years.

### How long is the striped polecat pregnant?

The recorded gestation period is 36.5 days.

### What kind of animal is the striped polecat?

The striped polecat (Ictonyx striatus) belongs to the family Mustelidae in the order Carnivora.

## Sources

- [An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1), CC0 1.0, E096-269. Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1
- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Striped polecat (Ictonyx striatus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/striped-polecat