Sukie

Not only is this a problem in California, but the fact that pet shops
continue to "educate" people that "ferrets are legal but you can't buy
or sell them. After all, we sell the supplies."

These people will tell you to your face that ferrets are banned but you
can keep them. They just can't sell them. They perpetuate the idea that
ferrets are legal here.

Also, the ones that do know they are illegal, spread stereotypes like
"they would breed and hurt wildlife." This does more damage than
anything else.

The Department of Fish and Game website continues to state that ferrets
are not a separate species from Polecats, and thus they continue to ban
them.

This page is very interesting, and is full of ridiculous "facts" on
ferrets.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/nuis_exo/ferret/index.html

This IMO is the main problem: The domestic ferret is a form or
subspecies of the European polecat , Mustela putorius. The polecat is
native to the woodlands, pastoral areas, and wetlands of Europe. King
(1990) wrote, "... the ferret and European polecat belong to the same
biological species," and "Ferrets are fully interfertile with M.
putorius and have exactly the same karyotype ..." Also, Wellstead
(1981) reported that "They interbreed readily, the offspring are all
fertile and their chromosome count is identical." [Links: description
of the European polecat].

This quote is from their more ridiculous page on ferret biology.
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/nuis_exo/ferret/ferret_issues_1.html

Nowhere is it noted that ferret-polecat hybrids are not going to happen
because polecats do not live in California. Or that pet shop ferrets
are neutered and spayed. Or that ferrets cannot survive the extreme
temperatures....or that ferrets are not found feral in any US state.

There is an Environmental Impact Report being written right now through
the organization LegalizeFerrets.org. Let's hope that it works.

Laryssa

[Posted in FML 6402]