Bill Killian raised an interesting aspect that I thought might be worth
exploring further.  I was responding to Lynn's ?  about the possibility of
her sable becoming a panda.  Bill mentioned that blazes can change to pandas
and that his Bodhisattva is an example.  (I remember Bodhisattva well
because his name has Hindu and Steely Dan ties.  I also recall Ghenhis Khan
as a truly massive beastie.) Bill, I have interpreted many of your comments
to mean that blazes and pandas are opposite ends of the same color/pattern
scale.  So, I can easily see how a ferret could slide back and forth.
 
My question is what would you consider their true color for your registry
database?  Since you are concerned with genetic type as opposed to temporary
physical appearance, how would you classify Bodhisattva?  (You mentioned
indeterminate blaze/pandas sometimes are considered patches.  Is he this, a
blaze, or a panda?)  Which season is the "true" color?  I have photos of our
black sable appearing very Siamese with a minimal mask one winter.  Since
this was only one winter (out of 7 now) and never returned, I don't consider
it part of his color.  By the same token, I don't consider some birds' bland
winter colors their true colors either (although they are seasonal).  As Pam
mentioned, some ferrets lighten over time, so at what age should we consider
their color as "final".  You have to deal with this more as a breeder since
you might like to pass on some specific color trait.
 
I've always treated ferret colors somewhat like statistics.  I use the usual
summer color as the average to classify and might describe the variation
extremes as sort of a standard deviation.  I guess as a judge you have to go
by what you see.  As a breeder though, which color is it?
 
   ( )--(a)
   (@=@=) \     Till next time.......Rudy the ferlosopher
   O__)  \ \___
      \   \
      /\ * )  \
[Posted in FML issue 1392]