>Subject: tattoos Hagen ferrets have a different tattoo than Manitoba ferrets. They are NOT one in the same. Okay - this is about all i know on the tattoo issue... Marshall Farms tattoos their ferrets in the RIGHT ear with two dots which look black and then turn blue as the ferret grows. Since the ear is pulled out and away from the ferret to ID it, sometimes the second dot is actually on the head near the ear or it might be so close to the tip that it mioght not bee seen. The ONLY ferrets tattooed with one dot by Marshall farms are males that have been neutered but not descented - usually lab animals. Marshall Farms does not release intact females at any time. The MI / Ohio area has some vet and backyard breeders marking their ferrets in the LEFT ears with two dot tattoos. this is supposed to mark the ferrets already neutered and descented, but there have been a few reports of intact ferrets being marked this way and still have a tattoo. Ferrets from Manitoba, Canada are marked in the right ear with a letter - looks like it is done by hand and many times it is hard to figure out what the letter is. I have seen X, L, T and Z. There are reports of ferrets being marked with double dot tattoos which are NOT from Marshall Farms - anytime you buy a ferret in a pet shop, you should ask to see the shipping invoice to see where they came from if it really matters to you. Marshall Farms sell direct, with the exception of Denver Ferrets and maybe a place in FL. Hope this helps. Pam / STAR* Hagen also tattoos their beasties. Male left, female, right ear (??). Anyhow, my (male) beast has this in his left ear: ..... ..:.. (an H composed of 11 dots...) To Pam Grant re: tattoos in ferrets. In North Carolina, there is a commercial breeder in Zebulon, NC, called Animals Exotic, which distributes ferrets at least as far west as Kentucky. AE ferrets have a red dot (sometimes an ill-defined blob) in their right ear. Because of the color, these have frequently been mistaken for blood from biting/scratching, ear wax, mites or hemangiomas. The color misleads most people who see the tattoo that it is something other than a tattoo. ======== Judith ([log in to unmask]) asked about ferrets with red dots tattooed in their ears. The local breeder here in North Carolina (Animals Exotic in Zebulon, NC) marks their ferrets this way. They tattoo the right ear with a red dot, and their ferrets are sold neutered and descented. I've spoken with one of the co-owners a few times and know that although most of their ferrets are sold in North Carolina and surrounding states, they are sold at *least* as far away as Kentucky, so it could be one of their's. The red dots are often mistaken as blood, ear mites or wax, but it is a tattoo. Both of my ferrets have the red dots. Folks in the Triangle Ferret Lovers group haven't reported seeing mostly sables, silver mitts and cinnamon/champagnes from this breeder if that's any help. --Jeff Johnston ([log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 1675]