Hi Deana, You posted yesterday about a skunky smell around your ferret's ears. Ferrets have two scent glands located on the sides of their heads below the ears which are probably the source of the odor you're talking about. While all ferrets have these glands, they are especially active in the males, and produce the characteristic mustelid "musk" that you described. You might notice that he will rub his head on things he likes (favorite toys, his personal space, other ferrets, your hands and feet). This is a natural way of marking his property, he's rubbing the musk on them. Turn his head over and look in back of the two large wiskers on either side of his jaw below the mouth, and you should be able to see the glands (the fur around it will look oily if the animal is producing large amounts of musk). The gland produces different amounts of musk under different conditions, but if the odor is very strong, you might want to check for an infection. If you rub that spot with your fingers, he should adore it (mine coos). If there is any pain, there is probably some form of infection which would bear watching. Otherwise, it's probably just natural. My male gets stinky when he starts his winter weight gain, and stops being particularly active (like males of other species?). I have found that a good daily rub of the sides of his jaws with a nice coarse towel, or a brushing with a soft brush takes care of the problem - and Mo loves it. If your fuzzie hadn't been descented, it would be producing musk from very large glands in its lower abdomen as well, and would REALLY be skunky. The small glands on the side of the head are nothing compared to those huge glands at the base of the tail. Hope this helps, and enjoy your pet... Gwen M. Daley [log in to unmask] Moria, Luthien, and Eowyn (Mo, Lulu, and Winnie) Department of Geological Sciences 4044 Derring Hall Blacksburg, Virginia 24061-0420 [Posted in FML issue 1485]