Glancing a steppe polecat, a small creature that is usually around 50 centimeters from head to tail, one would not imagine how fierce a hunter it is. The steppe polecat inhabits the vast grasslands in western China. 

Unlike other polecats, which mainly feed on small rats, the polecat hunts for larger mammals like ground squirrels and marmots. It would then take over the marmot's burrow after killing it.

Similar to the skunk, the polecat releases a strong unpleasant smell if it is attacked or threatened.

(Cover image by Peng Jiansheng from Luli Studio, taken in Ruoergai prairie, Sichuan Province, southwest China.)

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