Oddities of the FML. A recent general consensus showed a willingness
to offer truthful information regarding care, handling and feeding of
ferrets; but when certain ferret owners supply such information they
get drowned out with comments of you must show SCIENTIFIC proof!
Jimminy crickets!
If personal experience over several years isn't proof - than what is?
Do we really need personal scientists to follow us around taking notes,
comparing hypothesis, charting statistics, analyzing data? Does one
absolutely need photographic or video-graphic proof and then how much
of that will be claimed to simply be edited or "shopped"?
I can see how it would be difficult for many people to even think there
sweet snuggy wuggems could chomp into a hand, or devour another live
critter. But the fact remains ferrets are carnivores! Have been for
eons - will continue to be until the species evaporates! Not only are
they carnivores, but technically they are considered HYPER-carnivores
(in the scientific community) - yes - they are MORE carnivorous than
dogs! But not many get the chance to live as their DNA prescribes
because humans have chosen to deny them this. Just because many never
get the opportunity does not mean they lose the ability. Their anatomy
still has them designed to do carnivorous things!
This site offers some good radiographs of human hands.
<http://www.homeorizon.com/homeopathic-articles/orthopedic/age-determination>
One is a three month old hand which illustrates how UNDER developed
the bones are in a baby's hand. This lack of bone and obvious loose
attachment illustrates how relatively easy it WOULD be to shear off
a baby's fingers. Either by an animal or a malicious adult or simply
accidental pinching in a mechanical device.
This site explains in depth the forces able to be exerted by many
carnivores of North America.
<http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape2/PQDD_0014/MQ61307.pdf>
if the link doesn't work search for: "Maximum Estimated Bite Force,
Skull Morphology and Prey Size in North American Carnivores by Jonathan
H. Wiersma"
There are several members of the family mustelidae in this SCIENTIFIC
study and the results will astound many. Jaw strength is determined
by skull size, shape, mandible attachment and muscle mass. The wider.
thicker, and longer the skull is the more muscle mass is available to
move the mandible, if the mandible is locked into the skull (like the
ferret's is) then even more pressure can be exerted because there will
be no lateral movement of the jaw. Ferret's skulls - like many in the
mustelid family are proportionately longer and wider for their body
size than dogs, cats or bears! So proportionately they can exert more
jaw pressure than these animals. Beyond the skull and jaw muscles, neck
muscles play a part in biting ability and ferrets have exceptionally
large neck vertebra and musculature for their size.
The jury still seems to be out from the articles I've read whether the
ferret falls more in line with the Mink, Fisher or the Pine Marten.
That would likely be dependent upon the size and sex of the individual
ferret. But check out the charts and even the ermine exhibits
incredible bite force for such a tiny animal! Ermine average 2 to 4
OUNCES in size but can exert bite forces of 40 N or 8.99 pounds! This
study was offered using Newtons as the pressure measurement. I'm more
familiar with pounds so used online converters to offer a visual aid
of the forces able to be applied.
This is the converter I used:
http://www.convertunits.com/from/newtons/to/lbs
This means an animal that weighs less than my cell phone can exert more
pressure than the weight of a gallon of milk! Couple that ability with
slicing carnassials or dagger like canines which extrude from the
animal's mouth - and ounce for ounce the ermine has a formidable bite!
Another visual aid would be one of my ferrets with an average weight of
2 lbs would be able to exert more pounds of pressure than my shoeing
anvil weighs! Or another more familiar illustration would be that 2
pound ferret can exert a bite force of more than what two of the stock
16" wheels and tires on car weigh!
Here is an excerpt from the results page: "One of the primary
objectives of this thesis was to determine the mean maximum estimated
bite force in Newtons (N) for each species (Table 1). In the Family
Mustelidae, the mean maximum estimated bite force ranged from 40N for
ermine, 126 N for the marten, 207 N for mink, 539 N for fisher and 844
N for wolverine. In the Family Felidae, the mean maximum estimated bite
force for lynx was 541 N, which was similar to the closely related
bobcat (548 N). The largest member of the Family, the cougar, had a
mean maximum estimated bite force of 1311 N. In the Family Canidae, the
arctic fox had an mean maximum estimated bite force of 350 N, while the
red fox had a mean maximum estimated bite force of 430 N. The coyote,
the second largest member of the Family Canidae had a mean maximum
estimated bite force of 681 N, while the wolf had a mean maximum
estimated bite force of 2255 N"
You really need to read the full report!
End result is that YES - scientifically proven, the ferret, pound for
pound, has MORE bite strength than most domestic dogs or cats! This
can be a shocking discovery for many. Keeping this bite force and
hyper-carnivorism in mind - how is it that we don't hear about
thousands and thousands of ferret bites happening? Because it isn't in
their nature to BE aggressive! They aren't territorial to the point of
attacking intruders - intruders are simply new playmates! They aren't
protective of their food to the point of biting the hand that feeds
them. They don't form alpha/beta partnerships with their owners to the
point of either protecting the owner or putting the owner in their
place. Even when caged to the point of insanity their first inclination
is to shred their bedding, bite the cage bars, fight with their cage
mates - but biting hands only comes as a last resort.
When they DO bite it often is tempered to simply applying uncomfortable
pressure until the human lets go. Its only the unusually abused,
mistreated, neglected or scared ferrets that bite to the point of
drawing blood. And only extremely rare ferrets that will seek out human
flesh to puncture. Patient, understanding people with a high tolerance
of pain can rehab these severe biters to being the fun loving, socially
interactive animals they are.
Dogs are reported to go into a "blood rage" and will bite and rend
until the victim remains still. Being a live prey feeder I have
observed (albeit by myself - sans scientific assistant) on numerous
occasions my ferrets in 100% predatory mode, dispatch prey item after
prey item and I have ALWAYS been able to simply reach down and pick up
a ferret at any time in their predation mode and have NEVER - not ONCE
received a misguided or intentional bite! They are fully aware of what
they are doing and who they are doing it to!
Now I DID get bitten unintentionally when I used bare hands to
intervene between two fighting ferrets. The ferret that bit me was in
defensive mode from a ferret that had been attacking him and in a flash
this elderly kibble fed ferret had bitten THROUGH my thumb nail and to
the bone. He immediately let loose, but the speed, force and depth of
the bite was surprising to say the least. I cannot say the same for
many dogs or cats I've known.
Ferrets in my experience are MUCH more aware of their bite strength as
well as their intentions!
I still do NOT believe that the ferret accused of damaging this baby
actually did the deed. No way could attentive parents sleep past the
first blood curdling scream of an initial bite.
BUT the reality remains a ferret DOES possess the means to bite through
a baby's hands and abscond with the digits!
Cheers,
Kim
please visit :
for ferret help and info:
http://holisticferret.proboards80.com/index.cgi
http://ferretopia.proboards51.com/index.cgi
yahoo groups Natural Ferrets
[Posted in FML 6949]
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