Mammals · Carnivora · Mustelidae

Ferret

Mustela putorius furo

Not Evaluated

It has not yet been assessed against the IUCN criteria. See full glossary

The ferret is the domestic form of the European polecat (Mustela putorius), domesticated more than 2,000 years ago to hunt rabbits inside their burrows, a practice known as ferreting. It is a strict carnivore with a very fast gut transit, of barely three or four hours, which obliges it to eat several times a day. It sleeps between 14 and 18 hours a day and is most active at dawn and dusk. Today it is a common pet and also a laboratory animal in influenza research.

Weight

600 g – 2 kg

Size

35 cm – 50 cm

Lifespan

8 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Crepuscular

Active above all at dawn and dusk.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Unknown

GrasslandCarnivore Crepuscular Solitary Grassland Mammal

1countries28same family

Fun facts

GeneralDomesticated some 2,500 years ago to bolt rabbits from their burrows; it sleeps between 14 and 18 hours a day.
Females are induced ovulators: if they come into season and are neither mated nor spayed, the persistent oestrogen can cause fatal aplastic anaemia.
It is one of the three domestic species historically used for hunting, along with the dog and the falcon.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Domestic; its ancestor lives in woodland and farmland
Sexual maturity: 7 months
Gestation / incubation: 42 days
Litter / clutch size: 6

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustela_putorius_furo