Behavioral Biology of Ferrets

Abstract

Ferrets are often characterized as intelligent, agile, playful, lively, curious, and highly inquisitive creatures, with a natural instinct to explore. Ferrets have been accepted as an animal model to study neural development, visual and auditory function, reproductive physiology, nutrition, toxicology, pharmacology, and endocrinology, mostly in American laboratories. Together with species such as the mink, ermine, weasel, and polecat, ferrets belong to the carnivore family of Mustelidae. Feral ferrets live in dens, such as old rabbit burrows and caves under stones and root systems, and spend a large proportion of their active time travelling and foraging across home ranges of up to 102 ha. The ferrets’ breeding season lasts from March to August, and is largely dependent on day length. The gestation period in ferrets is approximately 42 days. Domestic ferrets tend to select corners for their latrine area, which may reflect their wild ancestors’ way of marking their territory perimeters.