Ed Greaves asked:
 
>is there a coloration of ferrets that is all black?  I've heard of
>this, and seen a picture...but the picture might not have been a ferret at
>all, it might have been one of those close relatives that are not easy to
>tell apart from a tiny picture...like mink or ermine.
 
I have wondered this too, and never gotten a satisfactory answer.  Lots of
"I heard..." anecdotes.  What I did see, however, is a photo of an adorable
young ferret in an advertisement (for a breeder) in a recent issue of Modern
Ferret.  It was called an "angora" and indeed its fur did look somewhat
longer than a normal ferret's, and quite soft.  The ferret was completely
black except for its head, neck and chest, which had the color and markings
of a typical sable.  Interesting color mutation!  I want one!
 
But I too would like to hear of other "black" ferrets.  And do these
"angoras" breed at all true?
 
Sue Kocher <[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1522]