Tonks Talk 4/15/22

      Good morning, and welcome to another Friday and another episode of Tonks Talk. Since Ferrets are the critters of focus in this blog, it's only natural we learn a little more about them. Joining me today just for that reason is my other brother, Remus, so let's get started.

Remus Winston

 T. Good morning, and welcome to another edition of   Tonks Talk, where we will discuss the history between humans and Mustelids, particularly the Ferret. Joining me on the show today is someone I would consider a bookworm, historian, and nerd. Yes, everyone, it's my other brother, Remus. Thank you for joining today and sharing some of your research.

R. (Looks up from his tablet and speaks) Thank you for having me. I am always delighted to have a reason to read and research stuff like this. 

T. I'm so excited to really dig deep into this subject. Remus, let's start with Ferrets, what they are, and their relationship with humans. 

R. (Claps hands together excitedly.). In short, We are the ultimate beings in the Universe. Mwuahhaahaahaha. (Both Tonks and Remus laugh.) All kidding aside, Ferrets belong to a formidable family of predators such as Otters, Weasels, Badgers, Fishers, and Wolverines.

T. That is some serious BadA$% cousins if you ask me.

R. We have serious cred in our family. For those who would like the short version, just follow along. If you are interested in digging deeper. I am quoting information from several websites. https://www.livescience.com/54391-ferrets.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferret, https://academic.oup.com/jhmas/article-abstract/VI/Autumn/471/1056773?redirectedFrom=PDF

T. Thank you for sharing that info. Take us back to the beginning. 

R. ( Organizes notes and clears throat.) There is still some debate, but I think the consensus is that the modern domestic Ferret is descended from the European Polecat. Mustela putorius. Some suggest that the Ferret is descended from the Steppe Polecat, Mustela eversmanii. However, since the Domestic Ferret is often referred to as Mustela p. furo, I will assume the European Polecat as the ancestor in this blog for argument. Also, the Domestic Ferret is not to be confused with the Black-footed Ferret, Mustela nigripes, which is an endangered species native to the central plains of North America. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mustela_nigripes/. One thing most sites agree on is when our ancestors were domesticated. It's believed that the ancient Greeks domesticated the first ferrets almost 2500 years ago.

T. So long ago. Imagine being 2500 years old. How did humans come up with the name ferret? 

R. (Smiles) It's believed that the word Ferret is derived from the Latin furittus, meaning little thief.  Such a perfect name because anyone who has ferrets understand our need to hide away our favorite little things. By the 14th century in Middle English, the word "Fyret" appeared, and by the 16th century, the modern word Ferret appeared.

T. WOW! that is a lot of history. Were you able to find out why our ancestors were domesticated? I bet it all had to do with how sweet and loving we are. (giggles)

R. (shakes head) Actually, I can't find any hard evidence as to why we were domesticated, but what I did see suggests that we are anything but sweet and loving.

T. (looks shocked)  I'm sweet and loving. Just ask daddy. 

R. (rolls eyes and continues on as if Tonks hadn't said anything.) I found the most likely reason we were domesticated was to be used for hunting. 

T. I guess that makes sense. We are pretty amazing hunters. 

R. I think it was a combination of being such good hunters and easy to tame. You see Ferrets imprint on their parents. Humans found that if you take polecat kits from their parents before their eyes are open and raise them, they will imprint on the humans. 

T. I have heard daddy talk about imprinting, but he referred to birds.

R. There are different types of imprinting that happen in birds as well. It's very similar to what we go through. Ferrets also imprint on things like food. That's why it is so hard to get a ferret to eat different foods. The humans would capture some Polecats, breed them, and then take the young. The first generation would still be a little wild, but the next generation would be fully tame.

T. So, within a couple of years, you could have full-grown hunting ferrets from a couple of polecats?

R. Exactly. And back during a time when you couldn't drive down to the market for food, a ferret would have been a perfect companion. Also, once it was discovered how well we were at hunting, we were used to control vermin as well. In fact, the first record of this was by the Roman historians Pliny, and Strabo. They stated that Caesar Augustus sent ferrets to the Balearic Islands to control rabbit plagues in 6 BC.

T. (With a savage gleam in her eyes says) Imagine an Island covered with rabbits. Paradise. (Both Tonks and Remus get lost for a second in that daydream.) What were we talking about again? (clears throat) Ah yes, Sounds like ferrets were very important. Much more than dogs or cats.

R. I would think so. In fact, I would put ferrets up against horses any day when it comes to importance. Of course, we fed millions through the years, many of whom were soldiers in combat that kept us as pets and let us hunt for both of us, but we have also protected grain stores in the American west from rodents.  A ferret named Felicia cleaned supercolliders at Fermilab, and Freddie pulled wire in Australia. 

T. (looking amazed) We sure are a versatile lot.

R. And there is so much more. I would encourage folks to google famous Ferrets in history. You will not only learn about the Military Mustelids of the British Army but also about Zelda and the hundreds of other famous ferrets out there. 

T. Let's see. We are hunters, pipe cleaners, pets, electricians, guards, and soldiers. 

R. But wait, there's more. (Both laugh at the joke) seriously though, there is much more. Ferrets share a lot of commonalities with humans when it comes to viruses. We catch the same colds and flu. Also, because ferrets' Oestrous cycle is similar to the human menstrual cycle, they have become significant in reproductive research. Ferrets have also been helpful in the development of swine and bird flu vaccines. https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/resources/video-library/ferrets-in-medical-research

T. This is a fun book About Felicia and cleaning the supercollider. Below we have an actual photo of Felicia while she was on the job.

photo from google images

R. She was so lucky. I would have loved to do that kind of work.

T. I agree. Here is a link to check out Freddie's story. He was a card-carrying union electrician. http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,799464,00.html

R. Daddy is a licensed plumber. I wonder if he could train me as one and get me licensed. 

T. I thought you had an aversion to physical labor?

R. I just wanted him to teach me and get me licensed. I wasn't actually going to work.

T. (with an exasperated sigh, says) You are almost as bad as Obi. Do people still hunt with ferrets today?

R. Not in the U.S. but in some other countries, the U.K. for example, where rabbits are considered plague species, you can still find the practice of Ferreting or hunting with ferrets. For instance, in 2009, Finland adopted ferreting to limit the rabbit population in Helsinki to a manageable level. Ferrets were a safer alternative in highly populated areas than shooting and caused less damage to the ecology.

T. Are there places that Ferrets aren't allowed?

R. Many places. If you live in the U.S. and are considering ferrets, you will want to check State, county, and city laws and codes. Some states don't allow ferrets, but some cities and counties don't allow them also. Ferrets are also prohibited on many military bases. For any non-US readers, check with your Country and Territory laws and codes, as legalities come with many restrictions in some places. In others, they are wholly banned because polecat hybrids released to control pests have wreaked havoc on the native ecosystems, and ferrets can hybridize with them.

T. Now, that's an important point you make, "polecat" hybrids, because it isn't "ferrets" that have done the destruction. Correct?

R. absolutely. You see, Ferrets can't survive in the wild. So when Ferrets were shipped to places like New Zealand, they bred them with European polecats creating hybrids that could survive in the wild. Then, they were turned loose with weasels and stoats to control the rabbit population. The problem? Once the rabbit population was decimated, our cousins turned on the indigenous wildlife, much of which, like birds, previously had no mammalian predators, so they had evolved no natural defense or fear of them and were wiped out. 

T. That I can understand. We are pretty good at catching whatever we want.

R. Remember, though, those were hybrids, weasels, and stoats, not domestic ferrets. Domestic ferrets are not likely to survive very long in the wild. I won't say it can't happen, but it's unlikely. 

T. tell that to the people in the Shetland Islands or New Zealand. 

R. ahh, those places were populated with hybrids and Ferrets raised with them, so not your basic domestic ferret. 

T. I guess that makes sense. How common are ferrets as pets? 

R. I haven't researched other countries, so I don't know about elsewhere, but in the US. They are the third or fourth most common pet, which has been a relatively new development. You see, ferrets were rare as pets until the 1980s, and by the mid-1990s, it was estimated that there were almost one million ferrets as pets. As of 2012, it was estimated that 334 out of every 1000 households owned a ferret.

T. That's a lot of ferrets! WOW!

R. (Smiling) It sure is. And they call a dog man's best friend. 

T. I bet they fix that soon. I think it's evident that we are replacing those mangy mutts in the hearts of men. 

R. (laughs then says) We are replacing Dogs as humans' favorites, the same way Football is replacing baseball as America's favorite sport. 

T. Careful there. You could start fights talking about baseball like that. (both laugh) So what advice would you have for anyone looking to get a ferret as a pet?

R. (sighs) Research. Research everything. Food, we are Obligate carnivores, so our diet is essential. Health,  we are susceptible to several forms of cancer, and we are almost guaranteed to get at least one. Behavior, it's good to have a solid understanding of our natural history. Training, study up on positive reinforcement training as it works really well with us. Basically, you can't do enough research.

T. I notice mommy and daddy still do a lot of reading up about us. Anything else you would like to throw in before we wrap up?

R. Just like to point out that even though we make wonderful pets, we aren't for everyone. We do have an odor. Even on a high-quality diet, we still have a slight odor, and bathing will only worsen. We poop a lot! So lots of cleanups. We can fit almost anywhere, so it is hard to ferret-proof a house. We will dig into most furniture, just making sure there is nothing in there, so you don't want couches or chairs we can hide in and get crushed if someone sits down. We also need time out of our cages to play and explore every day. We are hunters, after all.

T. That's beneficial information. Where would you send folks wanting to know more?

R. Google, and shelters. Google searches will give you tons of info, and the Shelter people can help you apply all that info. The shelter would also be the best place to get one, as they can let you see many that would be better for your situation. for instance, do you have small kids, cats, or dogs, whatever the case may be. The shelter can set you up better to succeed with your ferret.

T. (Smiles) Brother Remus, you delivered just as I had hoped you would. Thank you for all this fantastic information. I have learned so much. I feel so blessed and honored that you joined me today. Thank you.

R. (blushes) Thank you for having me. 

T. I hope this was an entertaining way to learn new ferret facts. If you have any questions or comments, please share. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to read. See you all next time for another episode of Tonks Talk. Till then, Take care.

Nymphadora