Q: "I think I know WHY ferrets have lighter coats in the winter...to help
hide them in the snow, right?. How can the ferret get rid of the pigment?"
 
A: By using a No. 25 sunblock and staying out of the sun.
 
Actually, it is not only quite simple, but elegant.  Ferrets have two
different types of hair; a very fine and short hair (diameter about 25
microns) that is essentially lightly or non-pigmented, and a coarse long
hair (diameter about 95 microns) that is pigmented, but with more pigment at
the tip than the base so the color ranges from light to dark.  The short,
fine hairs are called fur hair (or underfur), and are very soft.  The long,
coarse hairs are called guard hair, and are much rougher.  (The whiskers,
or vibrissae, are called tactile hairs, and can be found in various parts
of the body besides the face).
 
The balance of one type of hair compared to the other depends directly on
the photoperiod.  Long days cause the ferret to grow more guard hairs and
moult fur hairs.  This results in a darker and rougher coat, just perfect
for tearing through brambles without hurting the skin, and for remaining
hidden in the shadows.  Short days cause the ferret to moult guard hairs and
grow more fur hairs.  Since the fur hairs contain little if any pigment,
this results in a much lighter coat, and the ferret appears to change colors
or even patterns.  The fur hair is very soft and traps lots of air, so it
becomes a quite effective blanket to keep the ferret warm, and the lighter
color helps to keep the ferret hidden in forests that are much more open to
light because leaves have fallen.  Unlike some weasels which almost
completely lose their guard hairs in the winter, becoming very light in
color, ferret will always keep some of their guard hairs and remain fairly
pigmented.
 
This helps to explain several things about ferrets.  They have two distinct
moults; a fairly minor one in the spring when they shed some of the fur hair
(and grow guard hair), and a more extensive shed in the fall when they shed
guard hairs (and grow fur hair.) This also explains why ferrets are softer
and lighter in color in the winter; black sables lighten to a normal sable
color, and sables will almost become chocolates.  Silvers can almost become
white.  My Ballistic resembles an ermine.
 
This explains why fur trappers go after mustelids in the winter, when the
fur is very soft and warm (called high-quality).  It also explains why
ferrets, always keeping some of their guard hairs, have never really been
all that popular in the fur business.
 
One other thing about photoperiods.  They also control the amount of oils
that is manufactured at the base of the hairs, increasing in amount during
the longer light periods.  That means the ferret will have a more noticable
smell in the summer as the sebaceous glands produce more oil.  Their fur
will also feel greasier (or oily) compared to fur in the wintertime.  These
oils are yellowish, and stain the unpigmented hair a yellow color.  This is
why some albino ferrets turn yellowish, especially during spring and summer.
The hair is still unpigmented, it is just coated with sebum.
 
These oils normally protect the ferret in several ways.  They condition the
skin and help waterpoof it.  They help insulate the ferret from heat and
keep the skin cooler in warm weather.  They seal the skin, helping to
prevent dehydration.  They help to make up each ferret's unique scent,
making it eazy for ferret to distinguish strangers in dark burrows.  Most
importantly, they also protect the fur, waterproofing it from dew and rain,
and while swimming.  The oils have a built in scent, and are responsible for
the ferret's characteristic odor.  If you remove those oils, by shampooing
the ferret, the sebaceous glands become stimulated to make more oil, and you
ultimately end up making the ferret smell even more because the fresh sebum
has more evaporative oils than the older stuff.  That is why ferrets tend to
smell less when they have not been bathed for some time compared to those
bathed regularly.
 
If you do wash your ferret, I recommend adding a non-toxic conditioner to
the rinse to replace those oils removed by shampooing.  This not only
maintains the skin and fur health of the ferret, but it may help reduce the
production of sebum.  If all you wish to do is remove odor, try masking it
with a spritz of watered-down vanilla or licorice.  I have one friend that
uses a non-toxic, natural baby power.  Both liquids or powers are aromatic
and more pleasing to the nose (to some people) than musk.  You may like
something else, but please make sure it is completely nontoxic before
applying.  Some people dislike powers because of the risk of clogging nasal
passages or gumming up eyes.  Try lightly powdering your *hands*, then
rubbing the powder into the fur.  Solves the problem.
 
Don't confuse the odor that comes from the anal sacs with the normal body
odor of a ferret.  Descenting removes those sacs and associated glands,
making it impossible for the ferret to spray or mark territory.  This has
absoluting nothing to do with the ferret's body odor.  What *will* change
the body odor is neutering, but even that won't stop the normal production
of sebum.  Like it or not, ferrets smell like ferrets and there is no way
around it.  Compared to my son's wrestling shoes, ferrets smell sweet.
 
 
Bob C and 19 MO Toothed Terrors
[Posted in FML issue 2246]