We'd like to share with you a few interesting observations concerning
behavioral comparisons between black-footed ferrets and domestic ferrets (or
"fuzzies" as you call them- we have a number of fuzzies ourselves).  There
are several common vocalizations between these two species that reflect
their relatedness, though the contextual emphasis of the vocalizations and
the frequency and readiness with which they are elicited differ to varying
degrees.  Undoubtedly, you have occaisionally heard your ferrets hiss as a
threat or as a response when they themselves felt threatened.  BFF's hiss in
the same contexts, but do so much more readily.  Also, their hisses are
"sharper" and much more audible.  BFF's may also make beeping vocalizations
(or "dooking" to use your term) when excited or aroused.  Such vocalizations
range from the soft, affectionate-sounding beeping heard among a mutually
receptive and accepting mating consort, to the sharper, louder, frenzied
(faster paced) beeping heard in situations which are grading into an
aggressive or confrontational context.  It was rather rare that we heard
BFF's beeping when in a solitary situation.  They were certainly far, far
less likely to do so than your pet ferret (as, for example, when exploring
and moving around in your home).  Nearly all of the beeping we heard from
BFF's occurred in social contexts, including during play among littermates
or a mother and her kit(s).  While domestics too, beep more in social
contexts, they also do a far greater amount of beeping in solitary contexts
than do BFF's (in particular, BFF's don't even minutely approach in
frequency the incessant beeping that an intact domestic male may do!).
 
Of the most common classes of vocalizations produced by ferrets/polecats
(hissing, beeping or dooking, and barking), BFF's and domestics differ most
in their barking.  In fact, there is little overlap between them in regard
to barking.  BFF barks carry connotations of aggression and threat.  In our
work, the general contexts in which we heard BFF's bark were when they felt
apprehensive or threatened, or were startled.  Generally speaking, their
barks appeared to be more defensive, rather than offensive, in nature, with
the "intent" of warding off or discouraging the source of the perceived
threat by startling or scaring it.  In all but a few rare instances, the
kind of bark we heard given by BFF's was a distinct-sounding chattering bark
(sounding like a number of single barks strung together in jackhammer
fashion), that usually had a duration of about 1 1/2 to 2 seconds.
Oftentimes they would give several of these chattering barks in rapid
succession.  Within context, BFF's readily elicited these barks, which were
often interspersed with hisses.  In the few rare instances noted above,
BFF's gave a single bark, rather than the usual chattering bark.  The
contexts were the same, and in each of these cases the single bark was
preceded and/or followed by chattering barks.  We ourselves, have never
heard domestic ferrets sound a chattering bark, though another ferret owner
told us of once hearing such a bark.  We have heard a few single barks from
domestics, but only rarely.  So, apparently domestic ferrets still retain
the capacity to bark but perhaps the domestication process and captive
environment have greatly subdued their tendency to do so.  It is interesting
that a group of 4 and 5 year old BFF's with whom we worked (these animals
had lived their entire lives in cages), hardly ever barked or hissed, even
when their nest boxes were opened for cleaning.  (End Part 1- a few more
comments on vocal.  and other subjects tomorrow)
[Posted in FML issue 1733]