>From:    Cray Stephenson <[log in to unmask]>
>Has anyone heard of a feral colony of ferrets in Florida?  My boss, a highly
>respected DVM, Virologist, Professor and Director of Lab Animal Health at a
>nationally known Vet School told me that it had been reported to him.
 
>From:    Paul Ogles <[log in to unmask]>
>I live in central Florida, and have always thought that our climate would be
>ideal for wild ferrets.  Cray, I'll be glad to go 'hunting', if your vet can
>tell me where this feral colony is supposed to be.
 
>From:    [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Senate Hearing Scheduled for 9:30 A.M. July 8th
>We must also overlook the fact that 50 states report no feral ferrets.  In
>fact, lets overlook all the facts...
 
I'd like to throw my $.02 in here also, if I may.
 
A rumor is a rumor is a rumor regardless of who repeats it.  I mean no
offense to your DVM friend, but it *is* a well established fact that ferrets
are unable to go feral.  Even if my highly respected DVM friend said this, I
would question that statement and press for details.
 
While you would think that Florida's temperate climate would be conducive to
feral ferrets, it really isn't.  Ferrets are descendants of the European
polecat and are known to tolerate cooler temps much better than they do heat
over 85 degrees.  Florida's almost year-round hot and humid climate is the
exact opposite of Europe's and the ferrets wouldn't be able to take the
heat.  (I know I can't take the heat *this* year, it's unbelievably muggy
out there now!)
 
As to our winters...Last December, three of our ferrets tumbled out an open
window when they pushed out the screen.  We found one of the ferrets in the
neighbor's garage eating their cat's food - ("jeesh, really roughing it", we
thought) - we found another dead in the culvert one house down and never
found the third's body.  (We hope that someone found him and didn't see our
signs, but deep down I think that he died also.)
 
This also doesn't include getting into how can altered ferrets reproduce to
keep the feral colony in existence?  Since documented reports state that
there are no feral ferret colonies anywhere in the US and anecdotal evidence
supports this, perhaps you could ask your DVM friend to find out what the
sources of "the report" to him are.  I'm sure that lots of people would love
to see that evidence!
 
Susie Sherman
Trixie, Binky, Kodi, Rascal, Beasley, and Schmoo
 
rest in peace, sweet angels
Casper, IVAN!, pj
[Posted in FML issue 1995]