Q: Can mink and ferrets breed?
 
A: Only rebelion and discontent.
 
Ferrets have 40 chromosomes and mink have 30.  It would be a miracle if it
worked.  According to one source (Mammalian Hybrids) it has been attempted
in the lab, but to no ultimate avail.  That's not to say a Pepe La'Pew type
of mink and a really demented ferret might not try, but you might has well
try getting into low earth orbit using a banana.
 
Q: You have written about the history of the ferret.  I am a member of a
creative anacronism society; what can you tell me about the introduction of
the ferret into Britain?
 
A: A lot, but I'm not going to because I'm a (med) evil person. he he.
 
To begin with, there are 3 avenues of investigation into the history of an
animal.  1) Archaeological/paleontological research, 2) Historical
documents, and 3) biological aspects.  In the investigation of the ferret,
only the last 2 have been used to any degree, and because of the limited
nature of the attempts, they are inadequate.
 
Archaeologically, I know of no published accounts for ferret remains, except
of a fairly recent nature (also suffering from a lack of distinquishable
criteria to separate the ferret from the polecat).  So I would postulate
that the archaeological evidence is the worst of the three; in fact, it
doesn't come close to matching the historic written record.
 
Biologically, the polecat and the ferret are almost identical, especially in
the post-cranial skeleton.  Since no one has extensively studied the two, no
criteria have been established to differentiate them.  In other words, you
can't tell if the bones are ferret or polecat.  Also, the history of the
polecat in Britain is marred by the same problems faced by ferrets; lack of
precise data.  BUt an increasing amount of data are being generated in
genetitics, natural history, etc., to show that the ferret is probably the
descendent of the European polecat, although the possiblity of its being
descended from the steppe polecat cannot be eliminated.
 
Historically, the earliest records of ferrets date to the 1200's, when their
use to hunt rabbits are mentioned.  This occurs fairly close in time to the
introduction of the rabbit, about a century before.  Are the two events
correlated?  Probably, but without biological or paleontological/
archaeological evidence, the inference is suppositional.
 
Many people have noted the Roman dependence of ferreting and rabbits, and
have suggested they introduced the ferret in the British isles, but those
suggestions are marred by the complete lack of published evidence.  Even
worse is the assumption that rabbits and ferrets were introduced in new
areas together; there is no proof of that.  BUT, in the absence of any
archaeological remains of ferrets, you could look at rabbit remains, and say
"ferrets are usually common rabbit hunters, therefore it is logical to say
that where one is found, so will be the other, _so_long_as_it_is_
_understood_ thatthe relationship is at best a nominal one.  With that in
mind, consider these dates and take artistic licence...
 
Rabbits in Menorca 1400-1300BC Ferrets mentioned in Greek plays 450-425 BC
Rabbits in Mediterranean and Africa [by Phoenicans/Romans] 400-300 BC
Ferrets mentioned by Aristotle 350 BC Rabbits in Corsica 204 BC Ferrets
mentioned by Strabo AD 63 Ferrets mentioed by Pliny AD 79 Rabbits on
Balearic Islands/Ferrets to hunt rabbits AD 230 Rabbits in Italy AD 230
Domesticated rabbits in France AD 500-1000 Ferrets mentioned by Isidore of
Seville AD 600 Rabbits in Germany about AD 1123 Rabbits in British islands
AD 1135-1279 Ferrets and Genghis Khan [no primary reference] AD 1221 Ferrets
in England Ad 1223 Rabbits in British mainland AD 1235 Ferrets in Germany by
AD 1245 English ferreter attached to court AD 1281 Ferrets in Queen MAry's
Psalter AD 1340 Ferrets regulated in England AD 1390 Ferrets used for
ferreting in France [Gaston de Foix] AD 1387 Ferrets in poem "The Siege of
Thebes" by John of Lydgate AD 1421 Domesticated Rabbits in Germany AD 1423
Ferrets described by Gesner (Zurich) AD 1551
 
This is the best and most accurate dates and places.  Of cource, they are
wrong; if a ferret is mentioned at 1390, it just follows that it was there
earlier; it was just the first published or surviving reference.  One more
thing; the rabbit part of the list is both historical and archaeological;
the ferret part is historic only.  Hope the list helps.
 
Mo Bob and the 18 Ferts-O-Phun (Missing the big phunny one)
[Posted in FML issue 1733]