Common in Andalucia, Estremadura, and Valencia: also observed in the Asturias and Santander. Only one kind of marten is found generally throughout Spain, but we have some reason to believe that the "marta" of the Pyrenees is the rarer pine-marten (M. abietum).
Polecat (Mustela putorius)—"Turón.."
Otter (Lutra vulgaris)—"Nutra," or "Nutria."
Badger (Meles taxus)—"Tejón."
All these are common in Andalucia, and generally throughout Spain. Though so strictly nocturnal in its habits, we have occasionally found the badger above-ground by day, in our batidas in the Coto Doñana, &c., and have dug out a brood of young as early as January 29th.
Weasel (Mustela vulgaris).
Spanish: Comadreja, Rojizo.
Not observed in Andalucia, but common in Provincia de Madrid, Old Castile; in the Sierra de Guadarrama, and in Estremadura and Arragon.
Mongoose (Herpestes widdringtoni).
Spanish: Melón.
Common in the southern provinces, and as far north as the Sierra de Gredos (Old Castile). Ichneumons feed largely on snakes and other reptiles. They seldom offer a shot in the open, clinging tenaciously to the thickest covert, and are more often taken alive—either dug out of their burrows or caught by the dogs—than shot.
Among minor quadrupeds may be mentioned the hedgehog (Erizo), the mole (Topo), the shrew (Musaraña), squirrel (Ardilla), water-rat (Rata de agua), with the usual family-group of rats and mice. One particularly interesting species, the trumpeter water-shrew (Mygale pyrenaica), is found in the rivers of Guipúzcoa, Navarre, and, fide our friend Manuel de la Torre, in the Rio de Piedra, Provincia de Zaragoza.
The dormouse (Liron), and fat dormouse (Liron campestre), are both common in Andalucia.
The Spanish hare (Lepus mediterraneus), and rabbit require no further remark.