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The ferret (Mustela furo) is a small, domesticated species belonging to the family Mustelidae. The ferret is most likely a domesticated form of the wild European polecat (Mustela putorius), as evidenced by the ferret's ability to interbreed with European polecats and produce hybrid offspring. Physically, ferrets resemble other mustelids because ...
The black-footed ferret, which had features of Putorius and Gale (a subgenus split from Putorius), was put into its own subgenus Cynomyonax. [2] The modern classification arose in 1982 when Phillip M. Youngman placed the black-footed ferret into Putorius . [ 3 ]
The black-footed ferret is entirely dependent on another keystone species, the prairie dog. A family of four ferrets eats 250 prairie dogs in a year; this requires a stable population of prairie dogs from an area of some 500 acres (2.0 km 2 ).
Domesticated ferrets kept as pets are not native to the U.S., but black-footed ferrets have been part of the American prairie ecosystem for about 100,000 years, according to fossil records, and ...
Ferrets can live to be 10 years old, Varble said, but many of the ferrets she sees live around 4 to 6 years due to "intense breeding programs" that have limited genetic diversity.
Domestic ferret (Mustela furo) European polecat (Mustela putorius) 1500 BCE [48] North Africa: hunting, racing, pest control, show, pets Tame, slight physical changes Common in captivity, somewhat common in the wild, feral populations rare 1c Carnivora: Domestic Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata domestica) Wild Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata ...
Ferrets can make friends with other common household pets (especially cats) if acclimated to them from an early age, but introducing animals to each other is a tricky prospect, one that only gets ...
The genus Mustela includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets, and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slender bodies and short legs. The family Mustelidae, or mustelids (which also includes badgers, otters, and wolverines), is often referred to as the "weasel family".