Ferrets – Playful and Fun-Loving Animals

Ferrets are energetic, playful, and fun-loving animals. It is common for them to be domesticated and kept as pets. They can even be trained to do tricks like a dog. In some states, like California, it is illegal to own a ferret as a pet.  Ferrets have been used for centuries as rodent hunters and killers. Their long, slender bodies can get into tight places and root out unwanted pests. These carnivorous mammals are mostly found in Europe, parts of Asia, North Africa, and the United States.

Ancestry and Evolution

Ferrets belong to the genetic family Mustelids, which has been around for more than 33 million years. The animals made their way to North America and other continents (excluding Antarctica and Australia) by using the Bering land bridge. Over the years, they became useful tools in the hunting and killing of rodents and other pests, as well as companions for humans. Over millions of years, nine subfamilies and 66 species of ferrets were created.

Appearance

There are about 20 different breeds, or types, of ferrets. The overall appearance and behavior of the different breeds are similar. The most common difference is simply the color of their fur. Ferrets are small animals with short legs, typically between 18 and 21 inches long, and weigh between 1.5 and 4.4 pounds. Their fur is brown, black, or white. Male ferrets are larger than females and have more prominent body muscles, wider heads, and thicker noses.

Ferrets are part of the large family called Mustelidae, which includes weasels, polecats, badgers, martens, minks, otters, and wolverines. The common ferret is known as the domesticated version of a European polecat. The only ferret species in America is the black-footed type that specializes in hunting prairie dogs. The animals have sharp teeth and long claws that help them catch their prey.

Diet and Habitat

Ferrets are carnivores, meaning their diet is primarily meat. They have short digestive tracts and therefore must eat often. They hunt mice, rabbits, rats, gophers, prairie dogs, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Common ferrets eat much like domesticated cats. Any kind of meat satisfies their relentless appetites as do cooked eggs and cat treats. It is unhealthy for these animals to eat fruit, vegetables, or grains.

Wild ferrets live in Europe, northern and western Asia, and North Africa. They make their habitats anywhere food is nearby. It is common to find them living in forests, parks, farms, barns, or places where the food supply is abundant.

Reproduction and Lifespan

Female ferrets can become pregnant when they are about six months old. A female is pregnant for about 42 days and can have two to three litters per year. Each litter is commonly between three and seven kits (baby ferrets). The kits become independent around three months of age. They are extremely energetic and playful animals, though they require between 14 and 18 hours of sleep per day. A ferret lives between seven and ten years.

Ferrets are highly susceptible to infectious diseases and other illnesses. The cages of domestic ferrets must be kept very tidy to avoid any risk of infection or other ailments.

Predators

In addition to their tendencies to illness, ferrets must be aware of predators. Eagles, owls, hawks, and other carnivorous predators pose the biggest threat to ferrets. Domesticated ferrets can also become lunch for dogs, foxes, coyotes, and any other animal that prefers to eat meat.

Land development, agriculture, hunting, and trapping also put ferrets at risk. In places where prairie dogs are a problem, they are often poisoned. Ferrets that eat prairie dogs that have consumed poison will often die. There are many things that a ferret must be careful to avoid if it wants to live out its already short seven-to-ten-year lifespan.

Interesting Ferret Facts

• The word ferret is Latin for “little thief.”
• Ferrets cannot sweat.
• A female ferret can have up to 160 kits in her lifetime.
• Ferret babies are all white and gradually change color over time.

1. A ferret sleeps between 14 and 18 hours per day.
2. Some states allow ferrets to be pets.
3. Ferrets have been utilized for centuries as rodent hunters and killers, using their long, slender bodies to fit into tight places and root out unwanted pests.

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