The ferret is a prominent representative of carnivorous mammals from the Cunya family. This agile and agile creature with an extraordinary mind has won many fans around the world.
Ferrets
The weasel family includes 50 species of animal predators. All these individuals differ in body structure and lifestyle. The most numerous species of the entire family are ferrets. There are several species of ferrets in nature. All of them once descended from one animal and have a similar structure and are predators. Each of the species differs in its appearance, habitat and behavior.
Steppe ferret
This relatively large animal reaches a weight of up to 2 kg and a length of 55 cm. The individual has a long tail up to 18 cm long. The steppe ferret is the largest animal of its kind:
- The body of the animal is elongated with short legs and an elongated muzzle
- Ferret fur is long, but sparse and visible undercoat
- The guard hairs are brown and the short down is light.
- On the paws and tip of the tail, the color is darker
- The muzzle looks like a mask
Ferrets go to people's homes only in case of hunger. The rest of the time they try to avoid meeting a person. In the past, people hunted steppe ferrets for their valuable fur. They were even grown on farms for this. The ferret lives in burrows. But he rarely digs them himself. Mainly uses abandoned burrows of gophers, badgers and other animals. The steppe ferret is very fertile. The female can bear an average of 10 cubs. But there is an opportunity to give birth and up to 18 animals.
Up to 3 months, the mother feeds her cubs with milk, then they go hunting on their own. A couple may have up to 3 broods per season. The ferret population is widespread in the European part.
Forest ferret
It is smaller than its steppe relative. Its body length reaches 45 cm, and its weight is up to 1.5 kg. The tail can grow up to 17 cm in length. Females of these animals are 1.5 times smaller than males. The color of this ferret has no sharp contrasts. The main color of the hair of individuals is dark black, the limbs are black. But there are also light or red ferrets. The ferret's diet is similar to the rest of the species in this class of animals.
With the onset of frost, animals move closer to residential settlements, even settle in outbuildings and sheds. They often attack domestic chickens and rabbits. With the arrival of spring, they again return to their former places. The forest ferret lives in its burrows. He rests during the day, hunts at night. If you have enough food, you may not leave the house for several days. He behaves very aggressively with enemies.
Weasel
The smallest predator in the world.
Adults are only 18 cm long and weigh up to 100 grams. Females are almost half smaller than males.
The color of the animal's coat can change with the change of seasons. In summer, the coat is light brown with a yellow belly. In winter, sometimes its color turns white. Weasel is not afraid of a person, even capable of attacking him.
These animals live almost all over the world, with the exception of cold polar conditions. The weasel population is widespread in Europe, North Asia and North America.
This ferret species can be tamed easily. Young individuals are most suitable for these purposes. When an animal gets used to a person, it becomes a faithful friend for him. But for the villagers, weasel is the enemy. She often eats chickens and rabbits.
This little animal is very dexterous, runs well, skillfully climbs trees and swims. He is very aggressive and is a dangerous enemy of many small animals.
American ferret
Quite a rare species of ferrets. The main territory of residence is the United States. In this country, black-footed ferrets are listed in the Red Book and are on the verge of extinction.
This species is small in size. They grow up to 40 cm in length and weigh about 1 kg. Their bushy tail grows up to 15 cm. The color looks like a yellow-brown from a distance, but in fact it is dark at the tips and light at the base. The paws and tip of the tail are darker, with a characteristic mask on the muzzle.
To search for food, males can hunt in an area of 45 hectares, while a female needs almost one and a half times a large territory. Often, a male overlaps with two females at once. The mating season runs from March to April. Pregnancy lasts about a month. A female ferret can bear an average of 5 cubs.
Ferret furo
Foureau scientists mainly refer to albino ferrets. This species is the domesticated form of the black ferret.
Domestic furo ferret The color of this species can be different - from light to dark black. There are even individuals with a combined color. Ferrets are very similar to ferrets, but smaller and much weaker.
Body length reaches 50 cm, weight up to 2 kg, tail about 13 cm.
Being full, he will still pounce on a rabbit or a bird and torment it. The diet is very similar to the rest of the ferret species in this family.
Often, animals run away from a person's house and hide in the forest. Over time, if they are not caught, they become wild and remain free to live. This ferret treats a person calmly.
A characteristic feature of furo is that they can interbreed not only with individuals of their own type, but also with other species. Thanks to this, Russian scientists have developed a new species - golden. It is a mixture of ferret and furo. It has black sparse brown fur and a ginger undercoat.
All ferrets are very agile and agile.
They are dexterous predators. They hunt mainly at night for small rodents, amphibians and insects.
Ferret nutrition
Ferrets do not have a caecum, and due to the low synthesis of amylase, their body poorly assimilates plant food.
The diet of animals is based on various types of small rodents:
- voles
- mice
- hamsters
- moles
- water rats
In the spring, animals ravage bird nests, dig out hare holes, large species attack muskrats and ground squirrels. An insignificant part of the diet consists of large species of insects, frogs, fish, snakes and lizards. For winter, the animals prepare in advance, storing excess food in their home.
Domestic ferret, maintenance and care
The domestic ferret is an extremely curious animal, he will methodically explore all the secret places of the apartment day after day, not missing the opportunity to get into the narrowest corner.
Animals love to chew and swallow small inedible objects, which can lead to complete or partial obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract, and the instinct of burrowing animals can manifest itself in the regular digging of flower pots.
The ferret can easily learn to use the litter box, but at the same time can find another place for the toilet, in which case an additional litter box is placed there.
Sterilization
If the animal is bred as a pet without further breeding, the male ferret must be neutered and the female sterilized, this will significantly reduce the specific odor that appears in animals during puberty.
Even castrated animals have a specific musky smell of wool, so once a week the animal must be bathed using special degreasing shampoos.
Vaccinations
The ferret must be vaccinated against canine distemper, rabies and leptospirosis. Ferrets are most susceptible to allergies to vaccinations, therefore, before vaccination, you must make sure that the animal is injected with an antihistamine, and after vaccination, wait half an hour to make sure that there is no allergic reaction.
Ferret cage
A ferret needs a small personal area where the animal will rest, because ferrets sleep a lot, like cats. Therefore, a ferret cage should be equipped with a house or hammock, and keeping it open or closed is up to the owner. Ferrets surpass even dogs in intelligence, are easy to train and can learn to close the cage on their own.
What to feed your ferret
The ferret is a carnivore, and the basis of its diet should be protein food: minced meat or dry food for ferrets.
Minced meat can consist of chicken, turkey, quail, chicken and turkey hearts, liver, stomachs, brains, as well as rolled oats, barley and other ingredients. There are different recipes. Dog food is absolutely not suitable for domestic ferrets, but food for super premium kittens can sometimes be given. There are special foods for ferrets on the market that are fortified with vitamins and minerals, so it's best to choose them.
In addition to protein foods, peeled vegetables and fruits can be added to the ferret's diet in small portions (bananas, pears, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, etc.). Feed a raw chicken or quail egg, chicken or turkey liver, raw turkey, chicken, or rabbit once a week. Please note that the ferret's diet should contain the meat of those birds and animals that he is able to catch himself in the wild.
It is important to control your pet, which can make itself a stash of perishable food - this can lead to poisoning in the ferret.
Ferrets drink a lot, so there should always be a drinking bowl with clean water in the pet's cage.
Ferrets as pets: pros and cons
As with other animals, ferrets have advantages and disadvantages that all future owners should be aware of.
pros
- They are very smart, respond to names and respond well to education.
- Ferrets are small animals that do not take up much space. They can even be carried in a handbag
- These animals are very active and mobile, get along well with cats and dogs, love to play and have fun.
- Taking care of the animals is quite simple - they are clean, they quickly learn to the litter box and do not require constant attention or regular walks.
- Unlike other pets, ferrets' hair is virtually non-allergenic
- They can be safely given for overexposure if the owner needs to leave somewhere.
Cons
- Keeping a ferret is quite an expensive pleasure, since you will need to spend money on vaccinations, a cage, toys, vitamins and much more. In addition, you will have to carefully monitor what the pet eats - inedible things or inappropriate foods can lead to the death of the animal.
- If the ferret is poorly brought up, it can bite very painfully - these animals grab onto the hands and do not let go until you unclench their teeth
- Ferrets crawl into the most unexpected places (duvet covers, sleeves, bags, etc.), and in order not to accidentally injure the animal, the household will have to constantly look under their feet, shake up the bed and clothes
- The owner of these animals will have to make a small rearrangement in the apartment, remove the flower pots and put up with the gnawed things. It is also better to remove fish and rodents from the house, since ferrets are predators, and sooner or later they will arrange a hunt.
- Ferret care must be regular, otherwise an unpleasant odor will appear in the apartment or house.
