On Tue, 27 Sep 1994, Brian Millham wrote:
 
> I remember this same argument on rec.pets with this gentleman, and we were
> unable to sway his opinion.  I doubt that it will do any good this time
> either...
>
> Brian
> [log in to unmask]
>
> [I remember that discussion too.  Lest anyone worry that it will devolve into
> the same textbook thumping rec.pets did, it won't.  The main comment I had
> on that discussion is that "nothing more than domesticated polecats" has
> a variety of meaningless meanings.  I'm perfectly willing to stipulate
> that domestic ferrets are the descendents of Mustela Furo, and are probably,
> genetically, almost identical and are, for all intents and purposes, the
> same species.  But, so what?  So are chihuahuas and wolves.  Chihuahuas and
> wolves may be almost 100% genetically identical, but they are still rather
> different animals.  As are ferrets and polecats.
>
> >From a biologist's perspective, yes, ferrets are indeed nothing more than
> a domesticated polecat.  As a chihuahua is nothing more than a
> domesticated wolf (with some braindamaged breeders thrown in ;-) But
> they are still different animals.  Perhaps a biologist would grant us
> that ferrets are a separate race, but who cares?  They *aren't* the
> same animal.  And that's all that matters to us.]
 
Well there may be one more thing that matters to us.  A general
characteristic of domesticated animals is the retention of Juvenile
manners into adulthood.  Domestic dogs, for example, never get as
seriously territorial as wild dogs.  They retain juvenile behaviors, such
as food-begging from alphas, far in excess of that exhibited by wild dogs.
 
I believe that cats retain juvenile personality characteristics, such as
playing.
 
Frankly, I've not seen much footage of adult polecats, although there was
a nature show about european polecats a while back, but I'd guess that
domesticated ferrets exhibit play characteristics in excess of those
shown by their wild compatriots.
 
 
Nick Simicich - [log in to unmask] - [log in to unmask]
 
[Posted in FML issue 0965]