Wolfy asked:
>Do you personally think that there are any similarities between the two
>(wolves and ferrets in groups)?"
 
A: I have these visions of ferrets baying at the moon...
 
Sorry Wolfy, but I do not think so.  One of the great cosmic mysteries is
that wolves and primitive humans have social systems that are, in many
respects, quite similar.  It is this remarkable similarity that probably
spurred the domestication of the dog, a mutualistic event between humans
and canines.
 
Ferrets are not like dogs at all.  They are extremely solitary, and the
ferret that "owns" the territory is generally the dominant ferret.  What
domestication has done is cause a retention of juvenile behaviors, so
ferrets housed in groups and share familiar scents see each other as
siblings.  This effect is reinforced by neutering, which prevents normal
sexual development.  Within this artifical familial group, the strongest
dominate the weakest, although the occasional pair or small group will
form a cooperative bond to improve their group standing.  Complicating
the dominance structure are male-female interactions, and occasionally a
solitary ferret will be treated as a pariah.  So ferrets actually display
TWO sets of dominance structures, one for those within the group, and one
for ferrets outside the group.  Neither resembles canine social behavior.
The closest behavioral analog I can come up with would be a merging of
cats with small primates.
 
This is a very complex issue that cannot be discussed in a short post.
It is ALSO the idea behind by behavior lectures that I am modifying for
publication in Modern Ferret.  You will be able to read more about it
there.
 
Bob C
[Posted in FML issue 3938]