Ferrets – awesome animals

Ferrets are long and slender, and are determined hunters. Their color varies from yellowish to all black, and they are about 60 cm long, including the tail.
The word “ferret” comes from the Latin word “furonem”, which translates as “thief.”
Without a doubt, ferrets are some of the funniest creatures. They are curious, playful and love a variety of interactions with their owners. The better the ferrets are socialized at an early age, the more they love contact with people.
These animals are successfully used in such a serious industry as aircraft manufacturing. Due to their flexibility and ability to slip into the narrowest slots, these animals stretch cables in the bodies of new Boeing. Moreover, they installed communications of the Large Hadron Collider. Also, they pulled wires at Buckingham Palace while preparing for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana.

But, of course, there are places where the presence of ferrets is not welcomed. For example, in New York and the State of California, keeping ferrets at home is punishable by a harsh fine. Local authorities are afraid that the animals can escape from the owners, create their own colony, breed and organize the Apocalypse in all the nearby ecosystems that they can only get to.
Once upon a time ferrets were brought to Australia to fight against rabbits that had already been brought to the Green Continent. But the ferrets ignored the rabbits and began to eat the eggs of local birds. Now Australians are forced to exterminate both rabbits and ferrets. Of course, the importation of both of them, as well as breeding at home, is punishable by fines.
There is one point that can scare an inexperienced ferret owner. These animals love to sleep 14-18 hours a day. And sometimes they fall into the so-called “dead” dream, without reacting to tremors and generally looking like they suddenly died. In this case, do not be scared and call a veterinary “ambulance” – this is a normal dream of a healthy animal, which sincerely considers you to be its friend and feels completely safe in your house.
The ferret is a carnivore and must eat meat in order to survive.

They can swim, but do this worse than their closest relative, the mink.
You know, these animals have a rather specific and persistent musky odor. Even sterilized or neutered animals can emit odors.
Ferret was domesticated about 2,000 years ago. Initially, they were used to hunt rabbits and exterminate mice and rats. Ancestors of domestic ferrets have been discovered in Europe, Asia, and also in North Africa.
All ferrets are born with white fur.
If necessary, the ferret can dig a hole up to 4-5 meters deep in an hour.
When ferrets are frightened or feel any danger, they fluff up their tails just like cats!
On his painting Lady with an Ermine Leonardo da Vinci painted a ferret not an ermine. In the 16th century, people kept them at home because they successfully guarded grain reserves from mice and rats.

The black- footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is the only ferret native to North America. They live in prairie dog burrows and feed primarily upon prairie dogs, mice, squirrels, and gophers, as well as small rabbits and carrion. The black footed ferret is considered an endangered species by all conservation organizations.

Ferrets – awesome animals