Ed Greaves asked:
> How different ARE polecats from ferrets?
 
Take a look at Issue 1390, which has an excellent discussion of this
very question from Bob-from-Missouri.  He begins: "This is actually
quite difficult to answer, and it can be answered on a variety of
levels.  I will do my best with such a short answer."  The "levels" he
presents include taxonomy, paleontology, genetics, morphology,
behavior, domestication, reproduction, science, and "Bob".
Instructions for retreiving back issues are at the top of this issue.
 
Mireille Chiasson wrote:
>brought her to the vet because she had some sort of black heads on the tip
>of her tail and she was losing hair.  The vet said this was the result of a
>hormone inbalance, but that i should not worry about it.  The black spots
>are still there and the hair lost keeps stoping and starting again.
 
If the hair loss is just on the tail, your vet's probably right.  See
Section 9.3 of the FAQ for a little more information.  If it's more
general, then something else may be wrong.
 
--
- Pam Greene in Rochester, NY
Ferret Central <http://www.optics.rochester.edu:8080/users/pgreene/>
[Posted in FML issue 1522]