Q: "BOB!! I've heard you have seen a lot of ferret bones. Someone on the FML said flicking a ferret's nose can break the bones....is that true?" A: It does when using a hammer. The ferret, like all mustelids, does not have a skull shaped like most carnivores (nor humans). It is heavily modified for a style of hunting allowing it access to burrows. Consequently, the skull is long and flat and extends behind the ears a considerable distance to make up a large portion of the "neck." (I have placed neck in quotations because what is visually seen as the neck is actually a couple of the top thoracic vertebrae, the cervical vertebrae, and the back of the skull. The cervical vertebrae makes up maybe 3/4th of the "neck" length). The sort of modifications required to maintain cranial integrity (that it, the ability of the skull to protect the brain and provide support for jaw muscles and teeth) require the skull bones to be proportionally THICKER than in other carnivores of the same size (which there are not many because mustelids are so successful, so the point is somewhat theoretical). This thickness of skull extends from the back of the skull to the tip of the nose. The thin, delicate turbinate bones which support the olfactory tissue lie deep inside a thick "tube" composed of the sides of the incisive (or premaxilliary) bones, the maxillary bones, the various palatine bones, the nasal bones, and parts of the temporal and frontal bones. All these bones are so completely fused together that even the suture lines become difficult to distinguish, and it becomes quite difficult deciding where one bone ends and the other begins. The nose is supported by a thick and rubbery piece of cartilage which is anchored directly to the bone. Why are the nose bones so thick? There are three prevailing theories why noses in ferrets (polecats, weasels, mustelids in general) are so heavily protected, and all have validity. First, the bone supports the maxillary dental arcade, especially the canines, and must be strong to withstand severe biomechanical forces (try to imagine the stress placed on the teeth and bones when a polecat sinks those canines into a rabbit twice it's body weight and attempting to escape). These teeth are literally almost as far forward as mechanically possible. It is clear that the bone supporting them must be strong enough to prevent the front of the skull from fracturing during biting. Bone is primarily strengthened by becoming thicker. The second theory is that since most mustelids have sacrificed vision as a primary sense in favor of their olfactory sense, protecting the nerves and tissues which provide smell is paramount. The third reason is that many mustelids employ nose biting as part of their sexual rituals (you can scan for bleeding noses and determine the number of ovulating sea otters), and bone thickness in the nasal region serves a protective function. While I think the first reason is the primary one, the other reasons makes sense as well, and all probably explain the bone thickness in ferret skulls. What this means from a biomechanical sense is that the force required to fracture the nasal bones would be severe enough to fracture the skull as well. In fact, based on recovered remains of zooarchaeological specimens, it would probably be EASIER to fracture the cranial case than break the nose (most recovered remains are ONLY the facial bones). It is very unlikely finger thumping would cause actual damage to the ferret, although it is clear from a ferret's reactions that thumping is uncomfortable and likely somewhat painful. There is more of a danger, however slight, that some bruising to the brain may occur in hard nose flicks, but remember the ferret evolved from a long line of animals that ran down rocky burrows at top speed and would have bumped into things from time to time. It is hard to imagine, however painful, these types of bumps would have caused less damage than the typical nose thump. With all this said, do not misunderstand my OPINION on nose thumping. Pain (discomfort) has always been part of behavior modification because it works so well and so rapidly. But it has been largely abandoned because fear reactions are a frequent side effect; animals tend to display a "kicked dog" or "hyperaggressive" attitude (both typical fear reactions). While nose thumping MAY quickly break a biting habit, it can also result in the breaking of a ferret's spirit. Just because painful training methods work rapidly, it doesn't follow that they are BETTER than non-physical methods. Rewarding ferrets for good behaviors and yelling "Ouch" when bit (and then giving a time out) work just as well, albeit a bit longer. I do not think pain, however slight, is more effective than non-painful methods in convincing a ferret not to bite people. Bob C and 16 Mo' Felonious Phalange Fanciers [Posted in FML issue 3062]