hi people! hope everyone's furry is doing okay.
 
here's my problem...
I'm using my three ferrets and a friend's four ferrets for my independent
project in my Animal Behavior psychology class. I've decided to study the
establishment of dominance hierarchies in ferrets (if indeed there are
dominance hierarchies in ferrets, which i'm not so sure about...).
Our ferrets have never met. I plan to bring two of his ferrets to my place
and observe the five interact on the home turf of my ferrets for 2 hours, and
then the next day bring my three ferrets to his place where they will
encounter his two ferrets that they haven't yet met on the home territory of
their ferrets. I will be looking for quantifiable behaviors that I feel are
indicative of dominance, for example, which ferret is on top of the other
while play fighting.
*** What I need *** are more ideas for behaviors to look for that might be
indicative of dominance. Does anyone have any ideas?? please, please...
Any suggestions you might have will help me! Please respond either to me or
to the list.
Thanks,
Jill ([log in to unmask])
[Posted in FML issue 1022]