They are sometimes confused with the striped polecat, though are generally smaller and have distinct facial markings.

[2] The Saharan striped polecat is distributed around the northern and southern edges of the Sahara in Mauritania, Western Sahara and Morocco in the west along the Mediterranean littoral of North Africa to the Nile Valley in Egypt, while in the south its range is the Sahel east to Sudan and Djibouti.

[1] The Saharan striped polecat prefers steppe-like habitat and lives on the margins of deserts, especially in mountains, in arid, stony terrain and sandy semi-deserts, but rarely in woodlands.

[4] Before releasing the anal emission, it raises its fur in an attempt to warn the potential attacker.

[2] In Tunisia, Saharan striped polecats are often caught and exploited because of the tribal belief that they may increase male fertility.