A person has to wonder how much LESS of a predator of flightless birds the ferrets/polecats would have become if they hadn't put up "free lunch here" advertising lights, perhaps teaching the ferrets a very problematic behavior now that it has been learned. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/4204928a14335.html >Anyone who has ever watched the Discovery Channel will know how much >infrared photography has become essential to the study of nocturnal >animals. Not only documentary makers, but research scientists and >threatened species managers use infrared lighting to render their >subjects visible on the darkest nights. > >But although this long-wavelength form of light is completely >invisible to humans, it can't necessarily be assumed that other >species are oblivious to it. Now, a Waikato University masters student >has found evidence that ferrets - among the worst of New Zealand's >mammalian pests - are able to detect a frequency of radiation often >used to illuminate the nests of endangered species such as kakapo and >black stilt. ... It is interesting to see further evidence of ferret's vision working well in low light, and also finding that they see in infrared light. Sukie (not a vet) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html [Posted in FML 5734]