This isn't directly tied to ferrets, and maybe it's not news to other people, but it was news to me... In an article in Saturday's Boston Globe, there was an article about skunks, and it mentioned that recent DNA testing has removed skunks from the mustelidae and into a family of their own, as yet not firmly named. I just thought that people trying to change harsh rabies laws would want to know this, since from what I've read here, the relationship of ferrets to skunks makes them suspect in the eyes of public health departments. Now it appears that there really is no relationship. The article was written by a member of the Globe staff, so I don't know how widely circulated it is. The Globe has a website, www.boston.com, that might give you some leads to finding the article. Also Tom French, with the Mass. division of Fisheries and Wildlife, was widely quoted and might be a good source of information. hope this information is helpful to somebody! Regina [Posted in FML issue 2029]