---
title: "What the sources say about the Ferret | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "46 claims from the Ferret profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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---

# What the sources say about the Ferret (*Mustela furo*)

> 46 claims from the Ferret profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Ferret](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/ferret/)

## Marks & Shaffery (1996). A Preliminary Study of Sleep in the Ferret, Mustela putorius furo: A Carnivore With an Extremely High Proportion of REM Sleep.

https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/19.2.83

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A domesticated weasel relative that spends over 60% of its time asleep in the lab. | Under laboratory conditions, ferrets spend over 60% of the time in sleep (note: tagline) |
| Sleeps over 60% of the time in the lab, with an unusually large share of it in REM sleep | Under laboratory conditions, ferrets spend over 60% of the time in sleep and 40.28% +/- 0.93% of total sleep time in REM sleep. (note: stats.superpower) |
| In lab recordings of two adult males, ferrets spent over 60% of their time asleep. | Sleep and wakefulness were studied polygraphically in two adult male ferrets between the ages of 3 months and 2.5 years. Nine 24-hour recordings were obtained on different light/dark schedules, and one animal was also monitored for 3 days following administration of the serotonin synthesis inhibitor, parachlorophenylalanine. Stage scoring was accomplished utilizing criteria similar to those used in the cat. Certain modifications to the criteria were made to accommodate apparent differences in electrographic indicators of state. Mean daily percentages [+/- standard error of the mean (SEM)] for the major stages were: slow-wave sleep, 36.0 +/- 1.33; rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, 24.4 +/- 0.94; and wake, 39.4 +/- 1.17. Under laboratory conditions, ferrets spend over 60% of the time in sleep (note: two males; 60% is the second sentence of the same abstract) |
| In those males, REM took up 40.28% of total sleep time. | 40.28% +/- 0.93% of total sleep time in REM sleep |
| The high REM share comes from a high number of REM episodes rather than long REM periods. | The high amount of REM sleep is achieved by having a high number of REM sleep episodes rather than long REM periods. |
| Its REM sleep comes as a high number of short episodes rather than long periods | a high number of REM sleep episodes rather than long REM periods (note: vibe.reason) |

## Jha, Coleman & Frank (2006). Sleep and sleep regulation in the ferret (Mustela putorius furo). Behavioural Brain Research.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2006.05.001

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Sleeps over 60% of the time in the lab, with an unusually large share of it in REM sleep | the amount of REM sleep in the ferret was considerably higher (24.01+/-1.61% of total recording time) than typically reported in placental mammals (note: stats.superpower: 'unusually large share') |
| A second study measured sleep in eight adult ferrets. | Twenty-four hour S-W baseline data were collected in eight adult ferrets. |
| In that study, REM sleep filled 24.01% of total recording time, considerably higher than typically reported in placental mammals. | the amount of REM sleep in the ferret was considerably higher (24.01+/-1.61% of total recording time) than typically reported in placental mammals |
| The authors suggest REM sleep may have been present in greater amounts in early stages of mammalian evolution. | suggests that REM sleep may have been present in greater amounts in early stages of mammalian evolution |

## Grinblate & Ilgaza (2019). Biology, Reproductive System Particularities and Hyperadrenocorticism in Domestic Ferret (Mustela Putorius Furo). Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research.

https://doi.org/10.26717/bjstr.2019.23.003928

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Domestic; kept as a pet in homes around the world | Domestic ferrets are common pets all over the globe. (note: stats.habitat) |
| Meat; a small carnivore | Domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) are small carnivores (note: stats.diet) |
| Not Evaluated | Domestic ferrets are common pets all over the globe. (note: stats.conservationStatus. A domestic animal, so no Red List category applies. The wild ancestor, the European polecat, has its own assessment (Least Concern, taxon 41658, checked via GBIF), which is not the ferret's; not cited. Precedent goat, domestic-cat.) |
| Ferrets are small carnivores in the weasel family. | small carnivores from genus Mustelidae, including weasels, stoats, minks, otters |
| An intact male, called a hob, weighs 1 to 2 kg. | Weight of intact male (hob) 1 – 2 kg (note: hob and jill figures are domestic-ferret values, not polecat) |
| An intact female, called a jill, weighs 0.5 to 1.5 kg. | of intact female (jill) 0,5 – 1,5 kg. (note: source uses decimal commas: 0,5 = 0.5, 1,5 = 1.5) |
| a review gives 8 to 10 years, and up to 15 | Lifespan 8 – 10 years (up to 15). |
| Ferrets are common pets all over the globe. | Domestic ferrets are common pets all over the globe. |
| The same review says they were used as rat and rabbit hunters about 2000 years ago. | About 2000 years ago ferrets were used as universal rat and rabbit hunters. |
| They are also kept as laboratory animals and for fur. | Present day ferrets are common pets and also are used as laboratory animals and for pelage production. |
| Kits are blind at birth and weigh 6 to 12 g. | kits (1 – 18) which are blind and weigh 6-12 g at birth |
| Litter size averages 8 kits, from 1 to 18. | Litter size average 8 kits (1 – 18) |
| Mating activity depends on day length, and gonadal activity appears when the day exceeds 12 hours. | Mating activity in ferrets depends on photophase, meaning when length of day exceeds 12 hours, gonadal activity appears. |
| Females can be brought out of heat by mating. | they can be brought out of heat by coital stimulus |
| Ferrets become sexually active in the first spring after their birth, usually around 9 months of age. | Female and male ferrets become sexually active in the first spring after their birth. Usually it is around 9 months of age. |
| Another problem is adrenal disease, called hyperadrenocorticism, meaning excessive production of sex steroids. | hyperadrenocorticism (excessive production of sex steroids) appears in neutered ferrets |
| A review says it is unique to ferrets. | Hyperadrenocorticism (adrenocortical disease or adrenal disease) is considered as one of the most common diseases in ferrets and is unique to this species |
| It calls it one of the most common endocrine (hormone) system diseases in neutered ferrets. | Gonadectomy is directly linked to hyperadrenocorticism, which is one of the most common endocrine system diseases in neutered ferrets. |
| tags: predator | About 2000 years ago ferrets were used as universal rat and rabbit hunters. |

## Poole (1972). Some behavioural differences between the European polecat, Mustela putorius, the ferret, M. furo, and their hybrids. Journal of Zoology.

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1972.tb04073.x

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| One study compared ferrets with their wild counterpart, the European polecat, and with hybrids of the two. | The aim of this work was to identify behavioural differences between the domesticated ferret Mustela furo and its wild counterpart the European polecat M. putorius (note: hybrids named in the same abstract) |
| Ferrets do not develop fear of man. | they do not develop fear of man |
| Hybrids raised with their mother through a critical window of 7.5 to 8.5 weeks of age do. | The F 1 hybrids resembled M. putorius in that they develop a fear of man if left with their mother during a critical period between 7½ and 8½ weeks of age. (note: 7½ and 8½ = 7.5 and 8.5) |

## Piazza et al. (2014). Prevalence of deafness and association with coat variations in client-owned ferrets. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.

https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.244.9.1047

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| In a study of 152 healthy European pet ferrets, 29% had congenital deafness in one or both ears. | Overall, 44 of the 152 (29%) ferrets were affected by CSD; 10 (7%) were unilaterally deaf, and 34 (22%) were bilaterally deaf. (note: CSD defined in the abstract as congenital sensorineural deafness; 152 healthy European pet ferrets) |
| It was strictly associated with white coat markings and premature graying. | strictly associated with coat color patterns, specifically white markings and premature graying |
| All panda, American panda and blaze ferrets in the study were deaf. | All panda, American panda, and blaze ferrets were deaf. |

## Matsuoka, Lamirande & Subbarao (2009). The Ferret Model for Influenza. Current Protocols in Microbiology.

https://doi.org/10.1002/9780471729259.mc15g02s13

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| They are exquisitely susceptible to infection with human influenza viruses and show some of the same symptoms people do. | Ferrets are exquisitely susceptible to infection with human influenza viruses |
| They are exquisitely susceptible to infection with human influenza viruses and show some of the same symptoms people do. | develop some of the symptoms of influenza that are seen in humans |
| That is why researchers use them as an animal model for influenza, and many see them as the ideal small one. | Ferrets are used as an animal model for the study of influenza because they are susceptible to human influenza viruses |
| That is why researchers use them as an animal model for influenza, and many see them as the ideal small one. | are widely believed to be the ideal small animal model for influenza research |

## Mustela putorius furo (domestic ferret). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Mustela_putorius_furo/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Animal Diversity Web puts males at 0.9 to 2.7 kg, with neutered males often lighter. | Male domestic ferrets can weigh from 0.9 to 2.7 kg, neutered males often weigh less than unaltered males. |
| The body is long and slender: females are typically 33 to 35.5 cm long and males 38 to 40.6 cm, plus a tail of 7.6 to 10 cm. | Domestic ferrets have a long and slender body. Females are typically 33 to 35.5 cm long and males are 38 to 40.6 cm long. Average tail length is 7.6 to 10 cm. |
| As pets they can live 6 to 10 years | As pets, they can live from 6-10 years. |
| tags: predator | Domestic ferrets will also hunt rabbits and other small game when their owners use them for ferreting. (note: task #1110: kept on the definition (active carnivorous hunter); a carnivore that hunts rabbits when worked) |

## Pet Talk: Ferret Distemper. Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

https://vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk/ferret-distemper/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Canine distemper is a virus that affects many pets. | Exotic mammals, like ferrets, are susceptible to diseases that affect many domestic pets, including the canine distemper virus. |
| It is fatal for virtually all ferrets that meet it. | the disease proves fatal for virtually all of the ferrets that come into contact with the virus |
| Vaccination protects them. | proper vaccination protects ferrets from infection |