Q: "...are ferrets nocturnal or diurnal?"
 
A: They are toe-biting-at-the-urinal.
 
There are four basic descriptions for activity times; diurnal (day
activity), nocturnal (night activity), crepescular (dawn and dusk activity),
and ultradian (short bursts of activity separated by 3-4 hours of rest).
Some animals specialize in a single activity period, such as hawks being
diurnal, or most mice being nocturnal.  Others tend to be more plastic in
their selection of activity times, and ferrets seem to fit that pattern.
 
Wild polecats tend to be a combination of crepescular and nocturnal, and I
think New Zealand feral ferrets tend to follow that pattern.  As for pet
ferrets, they seem to tend towards that pattern as well, but will also shift
their activity patterns towards those of the humans they own, especially
when kept in cages part or most of the day.
 
Q: "What was the best and worst things you saw while visiting FML people?"
 
A: Best: what people look like in the evening while drinking beer.  Worst:
   what people look like in the morning after drinking beer.  That is,
   assuming no mirrors are present.
 
Actually, the worst things were lack of activity and mental stimulation for
ferrets; quite common in many shelters.  The best thing?  The love and deep
personal commitment by some people towards ferrets and other ferret people.
It is quite touching; or they may be quite touched, I don't know.
 
Q: "...and what do you think is the perfect number of ferrets to own?"
 
A: One less than you have time for.
 
Q: "Do people really send you those dumb questions?
 
A: You mean like the one you sent?
 
Q: "Do you think ferrets are better than dogs and cats?"
 
A: I think ferrets should EAT dogs and cats. At least nibble on them.
 
Q: "I was wondering if you had as many dictionaries as you said you do.
What is on page 57, third term, in Black's Vet Dictionary, 17th edition?"
 
A: Trick question.  There are only 2 terms on that page, unless you
consider one of the subsets of the 2nd term to be the 3rd.  The 2nd term
is "bleeding, or haemorrhage" and your "3rd" term would be "natural
arrest," a bleeding term that describes the natural arrest of bleeding.
 
Nah nah nah nah naaah nah.
 
Bob C and 20 MO Poopinators
[Posted in FML issue 2313]