Even if ferrets were not domesticated since the time of the Egyptians, then
so what?
 
Legal 'pet' species in CA, except cats and dogs or farm animals.
 
Hamster: Domesticated in Europe about 200-300 years ago, it being believed
that all 'domestic' hamsters deceded from one pregnant female..
 
Guinea Pig (Cavy): Domesticated in South America, orginaly kept as food
animals and though to have been kept for as long at 6000 years by natives in
SA, though only introduced as pets about 200 years ago in England, where the
cavy became know as the 'Guinea Pig'.
 
Chinchilla: Most sources believe them to have been domesticated about 40
years ago by the efforts of the fur industry, but when the bottom started to
fall out of the fur trade, chinchillas made it onto the pet market.
 
Rats: There are conflicting sources on rat domestication.  Believed to have
been domesticated about 300-400 years ago, but likely kept as pets even
further back then that, the domestic fancy rat became known 200 years ago
when the earliest fanciers strived to create new colors and coat patterns,
even creating the first club in England.
 
Rabbits: Oddly the ARBA doesn't state how long they have been domesticated.
There are also MANY vaieties of rabbits and hares kept as pets or food
animals.  Posibly domesticated well over 6000 years ago, kept for food
orginaly..
 
Parrots: Kept as pets, but likely not breed in captivity till about 200
years ago..
 
Reptiles: Corn snakes have been bred in captivity for almost 100 years now,
but I don't have much info on the other species.  Iguanas were mostly wild
caught till the last 20 years or so when it was found to be more profitable
to farm them.  Imported iguanas nowdays come from 'farms' in El
Salvador..and from other breeders in South America.  It is prohibited to
take most reptiles from the wild nowdays and captive bred ones are much
healthier, better adjusted to captivity and less prone to stress.
 
Why crow about ferrets being 'domesticated' for thousands of years when the
chinchilla was only domesticated 40 years ago??
 
Chinchilla are not prohibited by the F&G, most likely due to #1.  They are
not carnivores.  #2.  They are agricultural in nature, coming out of the fur
farm trade and concidered domesticated by both the state Dept of Agriculture
and a state code that says any animal raised for the fur trade is to be
concidered 'domesticated' in the state..(note, its a state law, not a F&G
law..)
[Posted in FML issue 1853]