Note: these questions have been compiled from private emails sent over
the last couple of months. Some are paraphrased from several similar
emails.

Q: "I am very interested in your upcoming trip to New Zealand. Will
you give talks while on "the road "like you do in America?"

A: Every time I do a talk on the road, I get smacked by a car.

Sure! This is actually one of the few times I can ethically talk about
anything I want to without the worry of infringing on sponsor rights.
In fact, I NEED to visit clubs and organizations in order to collect
DNA samples from as many ferrets as possible. I also want to photograph
and document ferret husbandry practices on a worldwide scale. For both,
I need the help and cooperation of ferret owners and clubs in all
countries I will be visiting, and I would be honored to give a talk
(or just drink a beer and toss a few darts).

There are two catches. First, I don't have a precise timetable for
visiting each country because I don't exactly know when the work will
be done in the previous location. I can only give perhaps a week
advance notice, probably more, but no guarantees. It is like a bunch
of dominos; I can't drop the next one until the first one falls. I am
selecting the best collections of ferret and polecat remains as my
priorities, then working down the list from a somewhat geographic
standpoint so I can conserve travel time and costs. At this point in
time, I expect the visiting sequence to be New Zealand, Australia,
England, Scotland, the Netherlands, France, Hungary, Macedonia, Italy,
Germany, Poland, Denmark, and Sweden. Some of the travel will be by
air, some by train. That sequence might change prior to or after
leaving for New Zealand; I have to remain flexible to meet the needs
of curators and professors, as well as the time needed to work with
the collections.

Second, I might not be able to get to all countries on the list. Half
of my budget has already been spent on specialized equipment, such as
a very expensive precision sectioning saw to cut teeth and bone for
ageing and bone density studies, a microscope and microscopy camera,
and other supplies. A vet who is interested in the DNA samples will
provide the necessary supplies for that work. Half of my remaining
budget has been spent on airfare. The remaining funds have to cover
local travel, lodging and living expenses. I can be pretty frugal when
I need to be, but expenses will nevertheless be a constant problem.
When I run out of funds, even if I am not finished with the research,
I come home, so, countries at the top of the list have an excellent
chance of a visit, while those at the end of the list have less of a
chance.

If anyone (individual, group, or club) can live with those caveats,
PLEASE drop me a line and I'd be happy to visit with and talk. I
really, honestly need your help to get the DNA samples, which will be
used to test the genetic diversity of the pet ferret, look for genes
that might be associated with disease, and it just might give us a
clue to domestication, or prove my hypothesis on the feral ferret
bottleneck. The more DNA samples I get, the better, and the wider a
geographic range, the better. The DNA tests will only be a swabbing
from the cheek of the ferret, as well as a few plucked hairs, so will
be pretty noninvasive and painless. If you can possibly help, it would
be of great value to the world ferret community in general, and to me
personally.

Q: "Ok, what do you mean by "bone density studies? I thought you said
in Portland that the bones are ok. ...and why didn't you answer the
bone question on the fml a few days ago?"

A: Well, because I am a registered independent, I answer to no one. :-P

Well, I did answer the FML bone question, but privately. At Portland,
I did -- in fact -- say that we were probably feeding our ferrets
an adequate diet because the bones did not appear to be impacted
negatively from a nutritional point of view. However, there is a very
important skeletal change that is caused by early neutering. I dislike
early neutering, but the only way it can be adequately challenged is
with empirical data that document its negative effects. I will be
comparing various bones from whole pet ferrets, feral ferrets,
polecats, and early neutered pet ferrets. In each case, I will cut the
bone to a microscopically thin section, and take precise measurements
of the voids within the bone and the number of osteons per unit of
measure. This is perhaps one of the most precise and accurate ways of
determining bone density AND you get pretty pictures. More importantly,
it allows me to study the trabeculae in areas of cancellous bone, which
are more sensitive in changes due to osteoporosis. Since I have already
used a different type of measurement and it suggests there are major
differences in bone density and shape between early neutered and late
neutered ferrets, I don't expect this study to vary in the results.
The important part is that the data can be used to fight against early
neutering. No one believed me when I said dental problems in ferrets
were as common and as bad as in cats and dogs until I showed the
photos. I expect belief in the changes in morphology and bone density
because of early neutering will follow the same trend.

Q: "How can your trip help [Californians] with the feral ferret issue?

A: Because it could "trip up" the CaCaLand Fishin' Gestapo, so all will
know they are a scientific fraud?

The remaining issue that is used by the CaCaLand Fishin' Gestapo to
keep ferrets illegal is the feral question, and they continuously cite
the New Zealand feral ferrets. I have extremely good evidence that many
of the ferrets released in New Zealand did not survive or were unable
to reproduce, resulting in a founder's effect or bottleneck. If I can
show unquestionable empirical evidence of a founder's effect, with
records of ferret releases and other data from Europe, I think a strong
argument can be made that the New Zealand example is NOT supportive of
the risks for ferrets going feral, but rather supportive that ferrets
in the USA and California will not. Towards that end, some of my
European stops are not actually to measure bones, but to gather
information on feral American mink, or to double check the trait found
in the New Zealand animals. This is one reason I have invited a
genetics expert to join the project and why the DNA samples are so
important. The feral ferret issue is a major component of this study.

I have already done work on 88 feral ferret skeletons and have
confirmed the existence of a founder's effect. I need a second, more
random New Zealand sample to confirm those findings. I need the DNA
samples and measurements from around Europe to provide ratio-scale
empirical evidence that the founder's effect is real. My worry is that
I will run out of funds before that evidence can be gathered. Any
rich Californian want to make a donation to insure I can finish the
research? Any clubs or other organizations? I would love sponsors
willing to help with expenses. This trip will kill what I jokingly
call my savings account.

Q: "Are you the only one working on this project?"

A: Who said I'd be working?

No, I will not be alone. I have invited some of the best ferret experts
in the world to join in on the research. I have a couple of vets, a
genetics expert, a dental expert, an expert on polecats (maybe two),
and possibly more. Currently, I have four offers to coauthor papers by
world-class scientists. In some cases, as I collect my data, I will
collect stuff for them at the same time and have little to do with the
resulting work. In other cases, I will be collaborating on papers, such
as with the feral ferret and domestication issues. In a few instances,
I will be collecting tissues that will be stored for future use.

This is a big thing. It isn't a vacation by any means. Besides what I
want to use, the data and research will be used for years. All research
has been discussed with other experts and a world-class vet will
continuously monitor the expedition. More importantly, it has the
potential to make changes in attitudes towards early neutering and
feral ferrets, a great deal of understanding towards ferret genetics,
and it could give vets and owners a great deal of information to better
our husbandry of the ferret. This trip has a very high benefit to cost
ratio, but it will be hard work.

I have several more emails loaded with other questions that I'll try to
answer in the next week or so. I am almost finished with the official
itinerary, and I'll be happy to post it on the FML when it is done.
I'll also discuss specific areas where I will need help from our
non-American ferret brethren.

Bob C
[log in to unmask]

[Posted in FML 5854]