Editing Ferret (section)

==Biology==
[[File:Ferret skull. Mustela putorius furo.jpg|thumb|Skull of a ferret]]

===Characteristics===
[[File:Mustela putorius furo profile.JPG|thumb|Ferret profile]]
Ferrets have a typical mustelid body-shape, being long and slender. Their average length is about {{cvt|50|cm}} including a {{cvt|13|cm}} tail. Their [[pelage]] has various colorations including brown, black, white or mixed. They weigh between {{cvt|0.7|and|2.0|kg}} and are [[sexually dimorphic]] as the males are substantially larger than females. The average [[gestation]] period is 42 days and females may have two or three [[Litter (zoology)|litters]] each year. The litter size is usually between three and seven kits which are weaned after three to six weeks and become independent at three months. They become sexually mature at approximately 6 months and the average life span is 7 to 10 years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://njvma.org/all-about-ferrets/ |publisher=New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association |title=All about ferrets |access-date=January 15, 2015 |archive-date=March 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330121138/https://njvma.org/all-about-ferrets/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.elmwoodparkzoo.org/animal-domestic-ferret.php |access-date=January 15, 2015 |title=Domestic ferret |publisher=Elmwood Park Zoo |archive-date=March 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150303072928/http://www.elmwoodparkzoo.org/animal-domestic-ferret.php |url-status=live }}</ref> Ferrets are [[induced ovulation (animals)|induced ovulators]]<ref>Carroll, R. S., et al. "[https://academic.oup.com/biolreprod/article-pdf/32/4/925/10543529/biolreprod0925.pdf Coital stimuli controlling luteinizing hormone secretion and ovulation in the female ferret] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211231220312/https://academic.oup.com/biolreprod/article-pdf/32/4/925/10543529/biolreprod0925.pdf |date=2021-12-31 }}." Biology of reproduction 32.4 (1985): 925-933.</ref> and can [[Copulation (zoology)|copulate]] for longer than one hour.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fox |first1=James G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kuSdEAAAQBAJ&dq=ferret+copulation&pg=PA197 |title=Biology and Diseases of the Ferret |last2=Marini |first2=Robert P. |date=2014-06-03 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-470-96045-5 |language=en}}</ref>

===Behavior===
<!-- Do not add information on keeping ferrets as it will be deleted; Wikipedia is not a "how to" manual&nbsp;– see talk page-->
Ferrets spend 14–18 hours a day asleep and are most active around the hours of dawn and dusk, meaning they are [[crepuscular]].<ref name="Anon">{{cite web|url=http://www.pethealthinfo.org.uk/ferrets/|title=Ferrets|publisher=Pet Health Information|access-date=29 January 2010|archive-date=3 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203230129/http://pethealthinfo.org.uk/ferrets/|url-status=dead}}</ref> If they are caged, they should be taken out daily to exercise and satisfy their curiosity; they need at least an hour and a place to play.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ferretbiting.com/ferret-as-pet-care-guide/|title=Ferret as pet care guide|access-date=22 January 2021|archive-date=2 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102171147/http://ferretbiting.com/ferret-as-pet-care-guide/|url-status=live}}</ref> Unlike their polecat ancestors, which are solitary animals, most ferrets will live happily in social groups. They are territorial, like to burrow, and prefer to sleep in an enclosed area.<ref name="Brown">{{cite web|url=http://www.weaselwords.com/page/ferret_art036.php|title=Inherited behavior traits of the domesticated ferret|last=Brown|first=Susan, A|date=17 January 2010|website=Weaselwords.com|access-date=29 January 2010|archive-date=4 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091004091445/http://www.weaselwords.com/page/ferret_art036.php|url-status=live}}</ref>

Like many other mustelids, ferrets have scent glands near their anus, the secretions from which are used in [[Spraying (animal behavior)|scent marking]]. Ferrets can recognize individuals from these anal gland secretions, as well as the sex of unfamiliar individuals.<ref name="Clapperton1988">{{cite journal |vauthors=Clapperton BK, Minot EO, Crump DR |title=An Olfactory Recognition System in the Ferret Mustela furo L. (Carnivora: Mustelidae) |journal=Animal Behaviour |volume=36 |issue=2 |pages=541–553 |date=April 1988 |doi=10.1016/S0003-3472(88)80025-3|s2cid=53197938 }}</ref> Ferrets may also use urine marking for [[mating]] and individual recognition.<ref name="Zhang2005">{{cite journal |vauthors=Zhang JX, Soini HA, Bruce KE, Wiesler D, Woodley SK, Baum MJ, Novotny MV |title=Putative Chemosignals of the Ferret (Mustela furo) Associated with Individual and Gender Recognition |journal=Chemical Senses |volume=30 |pages=727–737 |date=November 2005 |doi=10.1093/chemse/bji065 |id=Online |pmid=16221798 |issue=9|doi-access=free }}</ref>

As with [[skunks]], ferrets can release their [[anal gland]] secretions when startled or scared, but the smell is much less potent and dissipates rapidly. Most pet ferrets in the US are sold descented (with the anal glands removed).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mitchell|first1=Mark A.|last2=Tully|first2=Thomas N.|title=Manual of exotic pet practice|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JMTUKwzPEvwC&pg=PA372|year=2009|publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences|isbn=978-1-4160-0119-5|page=372|access-date=2016-07-29|archive-date=2014-01-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112053059/http://books.google.com/books?id=JMTUKwzPEvwC&pg=PA372|url-status=live}}</ref> In many other parts of the world, including the UK and other European countries, de-scenting is considered an [[Overview of discretionary invasive procedures on animals|unnecessary mutilation]].

If excited, they may perform a behavior called the "[[weasel war dance]]", characterized by frenzied sideways hops, leaps and bumping into nearby objects. Despite its common name, it is not aggressive but is a joyful invitation to play. It is often accompanied by a unique soft clucking noise, commonly referred to as "dooking".<ref>{{cite book |author1=Schilling, Kim |author2=Brown, Susan |title=Ferrets For Dummies |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B81UEcbj28gC&pg=PT302 |year=2011 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-118-05154-2 |page=302 |access-date=2016-07-29 |archive-date=2013-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204025518/http://books.google.com/books?id=B81UEcbj28gC&pg=PT302 |url-status=live }}</ref> When scared, ferrets will hiss; when upset, they squeak softly.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tynes|first=Valerie V.|title=Behavior of Exotic Pets |year=2010 |publisher=Blackwell Pub.|location=Chichester, West Sussex|isbn=978-0-8138-0078-3 |page=234}}</ref>

===Diet===
Ferrets are [[obligate carnivore]]s.{{r|williams1999}} The natural diet of their wild ancestors consisted of whole small prey, including meat, organs, bones, skin, feathers and fur.<ref>[http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=479&S=5 Rethinking The Ferret Diet – Info about species-appropriate diets, and the negative effects of commercially prepared diets, written by a veterinarian] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722231730/http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=479&S=5 |date=2010-07-22 }}. Veterinarypartner.com. Retrieved 2012-02-28.</ref> Ferrets have short digestive systems and a quick metabolism, so they need to eat frequently. Prepared dry foods consisting almost entirely of meat (including high-grade [[cat food]], although specialized ferret food is increasingly available and preferable)<ref>McLeod, Lianne. [http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/ferrets/a/feedingferrets.htm Feeding Your Ferret] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130413135328/http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/ferrets/a/feedingferrets.htm |date=2013-04-13 }}. exoticpets.about.com</ref> provide the most nutritional value. Some ferret owners feed pre-killed or live prey (such as mice and rabbits) to their ferrets to more closely mimic their natural diet.<ref>{{cite web|title=Feeding Ferrets whole rabbits ?|url=http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/191384-feeding-ferrets-whole-rabbits/|work=The Hunting Life|date=20 February 2011 |access-date=6 October 2012|archive-date=14 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114203459/http://www.thehuntinglife.com/forums/topic/191384-feeding-ferrets-whole-rabbits/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Raw Diets |url=http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ask_angela/rawdiets.html |work=For Ferrets Only |access-date=6 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012052641/http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ask_angela/rawdiets.html |archive-date=12 October 2013 }}</ref> Ferret digestive tracts lack a [[cecum]] and the animal is largely unable to digest plant matter.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gastrointestinal Disease in the Ferret|url=http://www.lafebervet.com/small-mammal-medicine-2/ferret/diseases-of-the-ferret-gastrointestinal-tract/|access-date=24 April 2014|archive-date=24 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424210834/http://www.lafebervet.com/small-mammal-medicine-2/ferret/diseases-of-the-ferret-gastrointestinal-tract/|url-status=live}}</ref> Before much was known about ferret physiology, many breeders and pet stores recommended food like fruit in the ferret diet, but it is now known that such foods are inappropriate, and may in fact have negative consequences for ferret health. Ferrets imprint on their food at around six months old. This can make introducing new foods to an older ferret a challenge, and even simply changing brands of kibble may meet with resistance from a ferret that has never eaten the food as a kit. It is therefore advisable to expose young ferrets to as many different types and flavors of appropriate food as possible.<ref>{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=http://www.ferret.org/read/faq.html|work=American Ferret Association|access-date=24 April 2014|archive-date=11 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140411133532/http://www.ferret.org/read/faq.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Dentition===
[[Image:buffy teeth.jpg|thumb|Ferret dentition]]
Ferrets have four types of [[Tooth|teeth]] (the number includes maxillary (upper) and mandibular (lower) teeth) with a [[dental formula]] of {{DentalFormula|upper=3.1.4.1|lower=3.1.4.2}}:
* Twelve small [[incisor]] teeth (only {{cvt|2|-|3|mm|disp=sqbr|frac=32}} long) located between the canines in the front of the mouth. These are used for grooming.
* Four [[Canine tooth|canines]] used for killing prey.
* Twelve [[premolar]] teeth that the ferret uses to chew food—located at the sides of the mouth, directly behind the canines. The ferret uses these teeth to cut through flesh, using them in a scissors action to cut the meat into digestible chunks.
* Six [[molar (tooth)|molars]] (two on top and four on the bottom) at the far back of the mouth are used to crush food.

===Health===
[[Image:Jake 0314.jpg|thumb|Male ferret]]
Ferrets are known to suffer from several distinct health problems. Among the most common are cancers affecting the [[adrenal glands]], [[pancreas]] and [[Lymphoma in ferrets|lymphatic system]].

Adrenal disease, a growth of the [[adrenal glands]] that can be either [[hyperplasia]] or cancer, is most often diagnosed by signs like unusual hair loss, increased aggression, and difficulty urinating or defecating. Treatment options include surgery to excise the affected glands, [[melatonin]] or deslorelin implants, and hormone therapy. The causes of adrenal disease speculated to include unnatural light cycles, diets based around processed ferret foods, and prepubescent neutering. It has also been suggested that there may be a hereditary component to adrenal disease.<ref>{{cite web
 |last=Johnson-Delaney |first=Cathy A |title=Proceedings of the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians |publisher=AEMV
 |year=2006 |url=http://www.aemv.org/Documents/2006_AEMV_proceedings_10.pdf |access-date=2007-03-03 |url-status=dead
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629140225/http://www.aemv.org/Documents/2006_AEMV_proceedings_10.pdf |archive-date=2007-06-29}}</ref>

[[Insulinoma]], a type of cancer of the [[islet cell]]s of the pancreas, is the most common form of cancer in ferrets. It is most common in ferrets between the ages of 4 and 5 years old.<ref name="Bakthavatchalu 2016">{{cite journal|last1=Bakthavatchalu|first1=V|last2=Muthupalani|first2=S|last3=Marini|first3=RP|last4=Fox|first4=JG|title=Endocrinopathy and Aging in Ferrets.|journal=Veterinary Pathology|date=March 2016|volume=53|issue=2|pages=349–65|doi=10.1177/0300985815623621|pmid=26936751|pmc=5397995}}</ref>

[[Lymphoma in animals#Lymphoma in ferrets|Lymphoma]] is the most common [[malignancy]] in ferrets. Ferret lymphosarcoma occurs in two forms—''juvenile lymphosarcoma'', a fast-growing type that affects ferrets younger than two years, and ''adult lymphosarcoma'', a slower-growing form that affects ferrets four to seven years old.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/lymphoma-or-lymphosarcoma-in-ferrets|title=Lymphoma or Lymphosarcoma in Ferrets|website=vca_corporate}}</ref>

[[Viral disease]]s include [[canine distemper]], influenza and ferret systemic coronavirus.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/ferret-distemper/|title=Ferret Distemper|date=October 21, 2015|website=CVMBS News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.petmd.com/ferret/conditions/respiratory/c_ft_human_influenza_virus|title=Human Influenza Virus in Ferrets|website=Petmd.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Jerry |date=16 April 2014 |title=What's New With Ferret FIP-like Disease? |url=http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/ferrets/ferret-health/whats-new-with-ferret-fiplike-disease.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424203951/http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/ferrets/ferret-health/whats-new-with-ferret-fiplike-disease.aspx |archive-date=24 April 2014 |access-date=12 January 2022 |format=xls}}</ref>

A high proportion of ferrets with white markings which form coat patterns known as a blaze, badger, or panda coat, such as a stripe extending from their face down the back of their head to their shoulder blades, or a fully white head, have a congenital deafness (partial or total) which is similar to [[Waardenburg syndrome]] in humans.<ref name="Strain 2015">{{cite journal|last=Strain|first=GM|title=The genetics of deafness in domestic animals|journal=Frontiers in Veterinary Science|date=2015|volume=2|pages=29|doi=10.3389/fvets.2015.00029|pmid=26664958|pmc=4672198|doi-access=free}}</ref> Ferrets without white markings, but with premature graying of the coat, are also more likely to have some deafness than ferrets with solid coat colors which do not show this trait.<ref name="Piazza 2014">{{cite journal|last1=Piazza|first1=S|last2=Abitbol|first2=M|last3=Gnirs|first3=K|last4=Huynh|first4=M|last5=Cauzinille|first5=L|title=Prevalence of deafness and association with coat variations in client-owned ferrets|journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association|date=1 May 2014|volume=244|issue=9|pages=1047–52|doi=10.2460/javma.244.9.1047|pmid=24739114|doi-access=free}}</ref> Most [[albino]] ferrets are not deaf; if deafness does occur in an albino ferret, this may be due to an underlying white coat pattern which is obscured by the albinism.<ref name="Strain 2015"/>

Health problems can occur in unspayed females when not being used for breeding.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://weaselwords.com/ferret-articles/an-owners-guide-to-ferret-health-care/|title=An Owners Guide to Ferret Health Care|last=Van Dahm|first=Mary|website=WeaselWords.com|date=16 January 2010|access-date=1 September 2013|archive-date=22 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222015914/http://weaselwords.com/ferret-articles/an-owners-guide-to-ferret-health-care/|url-status=live}}</ref> Similar to domestic cats, ferrets can also suffer from [[hairball]]s and dental problems. Ferrets will also often chew on and swallow foreign objects which can lead to [[bowel obstruction]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.petmd.com/ferret/care/evr_ft_how-take-care-of-a-ferret-ferret-care-101 |title=How to Take Care of a Ferret: Ferret care 101 |last=Drake |first=Samantha |website=Petmd.com |access-date=1 February 2019 |archive-date=12 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190212011112/https://www.petmd.com/ferret/care/evr_ft_how-take-care-of-a-ferret-ferret-care-101 |url-status=live }}</ref>