Just a short comment on my glass dishes post yesterday.  At one point, I
inadvertantly mentioned I used ceramic dishes, then later said I use glass.
I use glass; the use of ceramic was a goof, probably because I was thinking
ahead of myself.  Sorry.  Also, someone wrote to mention I was sort of rude
to the CaCa Fishing Gestapo.  Yeah?  What else is new?  Satire is *meant*
to be rude.  But just for you, here is a joke:
 
An evolutionary biologist and a CaCa Fishing Gestapo agent were hiking in
the woods when they accidentally walked between a giant she-bear and her
cubs.  The momma bear started up the hill after them, and the two ran down
the trail as fast as they could go.  Suddenly, the evolutionary biologist
stops, drops his backpack, pulls off his boots and starts pulling on some
sneakers.  The CaCa Fishing Gestapo agent looks in disbelief and says,
"Friend, I have to tell you that as a wildlife expert I know the top speed
of a human being is about 20 mph, while that of a bear is about 35 mph.
Even if you change into lighter shoes, the bear will still outrun you." The
evolutionary biologist looked up and said, "Friend, I have to tell you that
as an expert on natural selection and evolution, I don't have to outrun the
bear.  Only you."
 
What California needs is more she-bears.
 
Q: "I noticed my ferrets will fight each other, but they seem to leave the
    sick ferrets alone, as well as new kits. [Do you] know why?"
 
A: I think it has something to do with fuzzy logic.
 
No, I don't have an answer to that one.  I have also noticed kits being
treated differently, as well as the occasional sick or old ferret (not
always), but haven't figured out the "why" yet.  It could be due to a
change in odor which tells the normally-nasty dominant ferret that the
individual is not a threat (an evolutionary adaptation to save energy and
effort and reduce risks of injury), or it could be due to a lack of
physical stimuli.  While I think the first reason is probably the more
likely of any possible explaination, your guess is as good as mine.  Of
course, you could come up with some sort of "The rats of NIHM" thing and
think they are just being polite.
 
Q: "When you look at ferret skeletons, can you tell if they were ever
injured?  I want to donate [my late ferret] to your [ferret domestication
study]....and I have always suspected he broke bones as an infant.  Can
you tell if bones were ever broken?"
 
A: Yes and no.  I can usually find evidence of skeletal pathology, but
sometimes determining the cause can be difficult.  I recently discovered a
healed left distal tibia in a recently accquired ferret skelton; the tibia
was shorter than it should be, the bottom end was thickened and missing
important bumps, and the bottom end was off-center to the rest of the bone,
indicating it was not in alignment when it healed.  Sometimes the bone will
have a reactive condition which hides a fracture, or can mimic one in an
unbroken bone.  Some forms of arthritis can hide an old injury.  Often,
then bone was never actually broken, but crushed a little, which causes the
problems.  Or the injury could have been to the cartilage, and not show up
on the bone at all.
 
As for ferrets, bone injuries are more common than you might expect.  Many
seem to be cause during birth or shortly after, but you would be surprised
at the number of ferrets that sport injuries to their jaws and legs.  And
the owner never knew.
 
Q: "I have a pet skunk and wonder if it can pass diseases on to my ferret."
 
A: Besides stinky-butt?
 
Well, I'm not too sure.  I assume a skunk could pass distemper and rabies,
as well as the normal multi-species diseases.  I would assume if the skunk
was a hand-raised pet, the danger would be minimal.  Most diseases are
species-specific, but some can infect related species, like apes being able
to catch human measles.  If the skunk came from a wild situation, I would
be far more worried.  Skunks can get a tiny worm that grows in their nasal
area, causing the nasal bones and sinuses to form reactive bone and develop
holes and furrows.  I have seen hundreds of mustelid skulls with such
problems, including several ferret skulls.  Intestinal worms would also be
a worry.
 
The bottom line is, and if I am wrong, please someone correct me, I assume a
pet skunk would be about as safe in a ferret household as a cat, providing
the skunk does not roam free in the woods.
 
Bob C and 22 Mo Nasal Officers sailing on their olfactory line
[Posted in FML issue 2417]