Sorry about not answering some of my mail yet; I had a good friend
unexpectantly die this weekend (a fellow graduate student took his own life
with a 45). Not fun. I have some posts I've saved to the hard drive but
have never posted because of space or time.
Q: (personal Post): How are your ferrets?
A: They are great on rye, with a dab of horseradish. Nope, can't eat them;
as long and skinny as they are, they would make me feel eel.
Buddy has lost about 2/3rds of his hair, and is starting to lose weight.
I've started him on a drug suggested by Rudy Bob, and I'll tell everyone
about it in a few weeks. Bear has had a few recurrent bouts of weight loss
and squishy greenies, but responded well (and quickly) to antibiotics. The
bug wasn't confirmed, but it is likely to have been a campylobactor or
similar infection. Trillian had her anal sacs removed because of a
recurrent/ongoing impaction/infection, and has recovered nicely.
Sandy wardances all over the front room, and will play with almost anyone.
She has lost some hair off her tail because of blackheads, but it seems to
be growing back. Moose, Stella, Daye, Tori, Simon (completely recovered and
more from last summer), Apollo, Foster, Razz, Nosette, Balistic, Crystal,
Fraggle, Chrys, and Sam are all healthly as monkeys and running all over the
place. They have just gone through the distemper/rabies shots for the year.
Q: (Private Post) I'm writing a paper on ferrets and wonder exactly why the
ferret can be feral in New Zealand but not in California.
A: Because they are allergic to silicone and big hair.
Good question, but easy to answer. The ONLY places ferrets have been found
to exist in a feral state (and I do not mean Texas, which is feral enough
for anyone) are in areas where the European polecat is native, or in New
Zealand. I have heard stories of them living ferally on some Mediteranean
islands, but have yet to find a referenced source (and would appreciate it
if anyone with one would forward one to me.)
In the case of Europe, the ferrets found ferally do not seem to form
"colonies," rather they seem to be small populations near human habitations
that are periodically subplanted by local releases or escapes. These appear
to follow the basic rule that feral carnivore populations are not truely
self-sufficient and must rely on new animals coming in from outside sources.
In other words, the ferrets would slowly die out without ferrets being
"recruited' via loss or escapes. With a possible exception on some small
Scottish Islands, the feral ferret populations appear small and scattered,
and (with a very few exceptions) do not appear to have a major impact on the
local ecology. (And why should they? After are, polecats live in basically
the same areas. If the ferrets were removed, it would probably not result
in extra prey species, but more likely a slight increase in weasel and
polecat populations. Assuming the ferret can compete as well as the two
mentioned species, which I think is rather improbable, if not in fact
impossible.)
New Zealand is a special case, and really cannot be used for comparison.
First, (excepting bats), there are (or rather, were) no native placental
mammals except those introduced by humans. With a few exceptions, placental
mammals can easily outcompete their non-placental relatives, so even poorly
adapted placental mammals can outdo a marsupial. Also, the ferrets were
released in large numbers over an extended length of time; not just by the
reported Government sources, but by private agencies, and recent accidental
and purposeful releases as well. (I have been told of fitch farms that when
out of business that simply released their ferrets into the wild). Last,
while ferrets certainly exist ferally in New Zealand, the historical events
which allows them to do so simply don't exist in maintain ecosystems. In
other words, for any species to take over area from another species, they
must be better in some way, and ferrets are poor predators. They became
feral in New Zealand because the country was wide open and had little (no)
competion. You also have to remember that the local ecology was already
disrupted by farming and introductions of sheep and rabbits; not exactly
virginal.
That is not the case anywhere in the USA, especially in California. CaCa
land is loaded with many predators that are so much better than the ferret
it isn't funny. Mink, weasels, bobcats, puma, foxes, feral cats, coyotes,
wild dogs, and on and on and on. There is no way the ferret can outcompete
those species (and it would be a relativly simple experiment to prove one
way or the other, BTW. An experiment the CaCa Fish and Gestapo refuse to
perform BECAUSE they know the results already.) Additionally, the extremely
vast majority of ferrets are neutered, so the question is moot.
Finally, the debate ignores historical facts, which is, the ferret has been
in the USA for the last 250-300 years, and not a single established feral
populations exists anywhere. You can be sure that it they could have gone
feral, they WOULD have gone feral.
So, to answer your question; yes, ferrets can go feral in some areas, but
very unlikely in the USA, and especially not in CaCa land.
LIMERICK:
A CaCa F and G agent named Antone,
Hated ferrets down to the bone.
He got his bio-degree
C.O.D. from the TV,
But stupidity he got on his own.
Mo' Bob and the 18 Mo' Eel Dogs
[Posted in FML issue 1862]
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