>From:    Bob Church <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ya Got DNA in Those Jeans?
>If you own a domesticated ferret, you are looking at the descendant of
>close inbreeding.  If the ferret is albino, you can be absolutely sure,
>because albinism is recessive.  In fact, most color schemes other than dark
>sable is a result of the genetic manipulation of our beasties.  Is this
>normal?
 
You obviously believe the theory that ferrets are descended from either the
European polecat or a very similar beastie.  Seriously do you have a really
good reason to disbelieve the other two theories I've heard that they are
more descended from the lighter Steppe polecat or a now extinct (like the
wild dog, cat and cow) polecat from northern Africa.  One of the theories
I've heard put it as a red eyed "white" which if anyone's seen an albino
ferret that lived outdoors would have been sandy or even a bit orange in
color.  Historical evidence seems to favor the North African animal that was
"white".  But I don't know biological.  I've heard some claim that it is
impossible because white animals would have been too easy to catch.  But the
fact that the red eyed white albino ferret does not have the problems of
albinoes of other species and the historical accounts of albino ferrets
cross bred with brown polecats are telling to some extent.
 
>From:   Alicia K Drakiotes / Ferret Wise Shelter <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Bulldog faced ferrets
>To those who are really in the dark here, let me attenmpt to claify
>something.  The bulldog face is a natural growth pattern of an unaltered (
>late altered) ferret.  You don't see many ferrets with the bulldog face as
>most ferrets are early neuters for the pet shop industry.
 
Not quite.  Here in the DC suburbs which is "the" center in the US ferret
world whole hobs and late alter gibs are quite common - I have more than a
dozen myself.  If you've seen the early altered animals which are the "so
called whippet" and a "real" ferret (whole) and a true bulldog face you
would know.  Check the snout.  If your ferret has one you do not have a
bull-dog.  If your ferret does not you do have a bulldog.  There really
aren't many.  The whole hobs head is broader than the early altered gib.  It
has to do with hormones.  The change in hormones with sexual maturity cause
secondary characteristics to appear just like in humans.  Ferrets heads get
broader and develop jowls while humans grow beards and get deeper voices.
The true bulldog head is different looking.  From a show perspective,
neither is to be preferred by a judge and in the alter rings the ferret is
not to be penalized for being an early alter.  Allowances are made for the
lighter bone structure and lower muscle mass.
 
I call this area the center because most of the large and several small
ferret groups are centered here.  AFA, NAFA, STAR*, LIFE, LAFF and others...
 
>From:    Paula Pilgrim <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Fitch vs Ferrets
>Pardon my ignorance, but *what* is a Fitch???
 
Despite its odd usage in an earlier FML, a fitch is either a sable or a
polecat/ferret hybrid.  The dual usage is historical.  In the early part of
this century there were white ferrets and brown polecats.  The cross breeds
would have both white and brown hybrids.  Fitch referred to half-ferrets.
Ferrets were not particularly good fur animals but fitch were better.  As
time went on the distinction was blurred or misused and the two colors of
later generation ferrets were English for the white and fitch for the brown.
At this time fitch has basically become interchangable with ferret.  I known
of very very few true ferret/polecat hybrids in this country.  They are not
sold in the general market as pets.  The large fur farms outside of the US
that still raise ferret/fitch for fur are so removed from the wild
populations that they are effectively domestic ferrets as well.  The angora
ferret now raised in Chile and Scandinavia was developed for the fur trade.
 
>From:    Linda Doran <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ferretlegging
>The article described contests in Scotland between men whose goal was to
>be the one who could most withstand the pain of stuffing a ferret (I have
>to assume this was a polecat) down his pant legs and then being bitten
>repeatedly.
 
No these were ferrets not polecats.  Remember in the UK the ferret is
still a hunting animal that often lives outdoors not an indoor lap pet.
It is a rather silly thing to do and not very nice to the ferret.  Real
polecats are rather uncommon even in England.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
[Posted in FML issue 1473]