Identify the small mammal that I saw when I was cycling home

[MossCommuter]

I'm really poor at telling one beast from another so can anyone say what my little friend might have been?

There's no photo, I was cycling and it ran across the road in front of me very quickly and disappeared into the hedgerow.

I'd guess its body was about 30cm long, shortish tail and it had, I think, a jet black coat and its breast looked like a pure white shirt front. lt stood on its hind legs and appeared to be sniffing me out before disappearing off. I'm sure I have never seen one before so maybe they're quite rare or rarely seen.

I checked out weasels and stoats and they look more brown to me. Mink are a bit big and don't have the white shirt front.

I saw it in the north west of England so definitely not a pine marten.

 

[potsy]

Badger.

 

[MossCommuter]

Badger.

LOL, no, that I would definitely have recognised. They're big

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

pine marten.

That would have been my guess from the description. And they are spreading around a bit more now.

 

[potsy]

LOL, no, that I would definitely have recognised. They're big

Squirrel?

 

[Julia9054]

Ferret or polecat?

 

[MossCommuter]

That would have been my guess from the description. And they are spreading around a bit more now.

View attachment 374679

That's a beauty but it has a white collar. My mate was only wearing a shirt front. Could be it though

 

[Profpointy]

Ferret or polecat?

or just a cat?

 

[MossCommuter]

[QUOTE 4965867, member: 45"]Bison?[/QUOTE]
All together now...

...what's the difference between a bison and a buffalo?

 

[vickster]

Skunk?

 

[Profpointy]

All together now...

...what's the difference between a bison and a buffalo?

You can't wash yerr 'ands in a buffalo !


I thank you

 

[MossCommuter]

Ferret or polecat?

Can they be black? They look red to me on the UK safari site

 

[MossCommuter]

or just a cat?

Legs too short

 

[potsy]

 

[MossCommuter]

View attachment 374680

That's a lion as ne fewl kno