Other uses of ferrets
Ferrets have in more recent times been used to run wires and cables through large conduit. They have been employed in this way at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and by event organizers in London. TV and sound cables were run by ferrets for both the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer, and for the Millennium concert in Greenwich Park.
Ferrets are also extensively used in medical and biological research.
Ferret biology
Like many other carnivores, ferrets have anal sacs near their anus. Secretions from these are used in scent marking. It has been shown that ferrets can identify whether such a mark was left by a male or a female ferret, without recognising the individual.
History
No one knows exactly when the ferret was first domesticated, though archeological remains of the ferret have been dated to 1500 BCE. Most estimates place it sometime around the domestication of the cat. Some say the ancient Egyptians had ferrets, but it is more likely that Europeans visiting Egypt saw cats, and thought using a small carnivore to protect grain stores was a great idea. The ferret was probably bred from the European Polecat (Mustela putorius), and some use the scientific name Mustela putorius furo. It is also possible that ferrets have the Steppe polecat (Mustela eversmanni) in their ancestry.
Another purpose in the domestication of the ferret was almost certainly hunting. With their long, lean build and aggressive nature, they are very well equipped for getting down holes and chasing rabbits or other vermin out of their burrows. They are still used for hunting in some countries, including the United Kingdom and, particularly, Australia, where rabbits are a plague species and, despite the availability of a great deal of modern technology, the combination of a few small nets and a ferret or two remains very effective.
Mostly, however, ferrets are simply kept as pets. As a pet, ferrets rank third in the US, behind dogs and cats. Ferrets are sometimes accused of being dangerous to small children but this claim is false - proportionally, ferrets do much less harm to children than dogs or cats.
Terminology and coloring
Male ferrets are called hobs; female ferrets are jills. A neutered female is a sprite, and a neutered male is a gib. Ferrets under one year old are known as kits.
Ferrets come in a variety of coat colors, the most common of which are as follows:
- albino
- badger
- black and white pattern
- black sable
- black sable mitt
- blaze
- champagne mitt
- chocolate
- chocolate mitt
- cinnamon
- mixed
- onyx-eyed white
- silver, light
- silver, heavy
- silver, medium
- silver mitt
- sable
- sable mitt
- siamese
- siamese chocolate
- panda
White ferrets were favored in the Middle Ages, and ownership was restricted to those earning at least 40 shillings a year (a rather large sum then). Da Vinci's painting "Lady with Ermine" is probably mislabled; the animal is probably a ferret, not a stoat, for which "ermine" is an alternative name (strictly applying only to the animal in its white winter coat). Similarly, the "Ermine portrait of Queen Elizabeth the First" shows her with her pet ferret, who has been decorated with painted-on heraldic ermine spots.
Legality
Two United States states, California and Hawaii, have laws that restrict the ownership of ferrets. Ferrets are also restricted by individual cities, such as New York City. Opponents of anti-ferret laws claim that these laws stem from ignorance and the mistaken idea that ferrets are wild animals. They argue that the bans make about as much sense as banning poodles because wolves are wild animals.
External Sites
http://www.ferretcentral.org/ One of the most complete ferret resources on the Internet.
http://www.nycferrets.com/ A ferret information and legalization resource.
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