Who is the steppe ferret? A photo of this funny furry animal can melt the most callous heart. There are many myths about ferrets - they say that they are cruel robbers of chicken coops. But small predators are also bred in captivity - and not only in fur farms for the sake of fur. They took the same place as dogs and cats. People are increasingly breeding them as playful and affectionate pets. And in Medieval Europe, ferrets played the role of small cats then. They caught mice in the barns, created comfort. Such a domesticated ferret is called a ferret, or furo. Scientists believe that this is a special albino subspecies of a wild animal. By the way, in the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci “Lady with an Ermine”, a beautiful young woman is holding a ferret in her arms. But in this article, we will focus not so much on the domestic ferret, but on its wild relatives living in the forest and steppe.
A large family of mustelids
In the scientific classification of the steppethe ferret is called Mustela eversmanni. It belongs to the marten family. That is, the distant relatives of the animal are stoats, minks, solongoi, columns and, in fact, martens. This small predatory mammal belongs to the genus of weasels and polecats. In the second word of the scientific name of the animal - eversmanni - a tribute is brought to the Russian zoologist E. A. Eversman (1794-1860), who described this species. The closest relatives of the inhabitant of the steppes are the forest (Mustela putorius) and black-footed (Mustela nigripes) hori, as well as the ferret (Mustela putorius furo). They can mate with each other and produce viable offspring. Many hybrids have been bred by man: for example, an honorik obtained from an alliance with a mink. Although all types of ferrets have different habitats, they quickly adapt to new conditions. For example, forest ferrets were brought to New Zealand to fight the growing rat population. As a result, adapted small predators now threaten the native fauna of the island.
Ferret habitat
All three species are distributed in Eurasia, North America and northwest Africa, where scientists believe that the furo was domesticated. In Russia, there are forest (dark) and steppe (light) hori. Although color is not the main feature of the species. Among ferrets, cases of albinism are frequent, and they can also be dark or ermine. All species are characterized by a kind of "mask" on the muzzle. The steppe polecat lives in open spaces in China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia, in Southern Siberia, Eastern and Central Europe. He avoids forests, mountains,settlements. Prefers flat steppes, semi-deserts, beams. His forest counterpart, on the contrary, is found in groves and forests. The range of the black-footed ferret is the forests of North America. Domesticated about two thousand years ago in Africa or on the Iberian Peninsula, the furo has a non-aggressive affectionate character and cannot feed itself in the wild.
Steppe ferret: species description
This is the largest animal of all animals of the genus. The body length of an adult male reaches 56 centimeters, and its weight is two kilograms. At the same time, the animal has a rather impressive (up to 18 cm) tail, which it fluffs up in case of danger. The guard hairs are high but sparse. Thanks to this feature, a light and thick underfur is visible. The dark "mask" around the eyes is typical of all Mustela species, but in the steppe polecat it is more pronounced because it is worn on a white head. The paws, as well as the tail (or its tip) are dark. The animal moves by jumping. The steppe ferret, whose photo is a “calling card” for other species because of the “Zorro mask”, hunts gophers, hamsters, pikas, and other mouse-like rodents. He does not disdain and large locusts. Ruin the nests of ground birds. Its diet also includes frogs, lizards, and less often snakes. Individuals living along the banks of rivers and lakes demonstrate excellent swimming skills. Then water voles become their food.
Number of the species in Russia
In the steppes and forest-steppes of the European part of the Russian Federation, the western subspecies of the light ferret is widespread. On SouthSiberia, on the Zeya-Bureya plain and in the Amur region, a very valuable biotype is found. The population of this light-colored polecat dwindled to alarming proportions in the fifties of the last century. Mainly due to uncontrolled fur mining and the reduction of natural habitats. On the one hand, the decrease in the area of forests in the Amur-Zeya interfluve expanded the range of the steppe polecat, but on the other hand, the development of these lands for farmland puts the survival of the subspecies at risk. Already in the sixties, this animal became a very rare prey for hunters. In the 70s, he was not met every year and only near the Amur River. Thus, we can conclude that individuals from the right bank (China) enter the territory of the Russian Federation. Despite the fact that now the Amur steppe polecat is in the Red Book of Russia, its number is steadily declining.
The habits of the steppe ferret
Mainly the animal leads a solitary lifestyle. Sometimes, with an increase in the population in a limited area, it can form clusters. Then, in a group of animals, the behavioral process of building a pack hierarchy, subordination and dominance is launched. Steppe ferrets are often credited with "crimes" committed by foxes, weasels and martens. In fact, this is a useful animal, because it exterminates, or rather, controls the number of rodents. The long and thin body of the light polecat helps it to penetrate its prey into holes. Sometimes he uses them for his own housing. Although nature has provided the steppe polecat with muscular paws with strong claws, it rarely burrows. Sometimes the animal buries food for the future,for a hungry time, but often forgets about such "stash". The natural enemies of the steppe ferrets are birds of prey and foxes. In case of danger, the animal uses the smelly and caustic secret of the anal glands, which shoots at the enemy.
Reproduction
In regions of joint habitat, steppe and forest ferrets often interbreed. Therefore, black (dark) animals are also found in populations. Although the number of chromosomes in the two species is different: thirty-eight in the inhabitant of the steppes, forty in the inhabitants of the forests. The steppe polecat keeps to itself outside the breeding season, but does not mark its territory and does not guard it. If two same-sex individuals meet, they do not show aggression towards each other. But the males fight for the female, ruthlessly biting and squealing loudly. The ladies look a little smaller than the gentlemen, but their weight is almost half as much: two kilograms versus 1, 200. For childbirth, females expand and equip other people's holes, lining them with hay, feathers, and fluff. Rarely do they dig their own dwellings. They can choose a haystack or a low-lying tree hollow for a hole. The father takes part in the rearing of the offspring. If the cubs die for any reason, the female is able to interbreed again after seven to twenty days. Although usually the mating season comes at the end of winter.
Reproduction
A month and a half after crossing, the female gives birth to four to ten (rarely fifteen) naked, blind and completely helpless puppies. The eyes of the cubs open only after a month. Steppe ferret - verycaring parent. The female does not leave the babies until they are overgrown with wool. The father brings his girlfriend food. The female feeds the cubs with milk for about three months. But even earlier, at the age of eight weeks, the young are already learning to get food. When the lactation period ends, the cubs disperse in search of their territory. They reach puberty at the end of the first year of life. In females, pregnancy can occur two to three times a year.
Lifespan
Alas, but a ferret in nature, regardless of species, lives an average of three to four years. High mortality in childhood (sometimes the entire litter dies), many natural enemies, narrowing of habitats due to deforestation or plowing of steppes and meadows, reduce the number of populations. In addition, ferrets are prone to epidemic diseases. They die of frugivorous plague, rabies, scriabingiliasis. In captivity, with a balanced diet and the necessary veterinary care, ferrets live up to eight, less often ten years.
Forest ferret
This animal has darker fur than its steppe cousin. As already noted, the number of chromosomes in closely related species is different, which does not prevent them from creating hybrids with each other, as well as with the mink and column. Outwardly, the forest ferret also has, albeit minor, but differences. It is smaller and more graceful. The body length of the male is up to fifty cm, the tail is seventeen cm, and the weight is only one and a half kilograms. Its skull is not as heavy as that of the steppe polecat, and behind the orbits is not so sharply compressed. His ears are roundsmall. The forest polecat inhabits mainly Europe. In Russia, it is found up to the Urals. It lives, as the name implies, in forests and even small groves. The color of the fur of this animal is dark brown, but the tail, paws, throat and chest are almost black. The diet of the steppe and forest ferrets is similar - mouse-like rodents, toads, frogs, eggs and young birds. A predator and hares can eat. The forest polecat also does not like to dig holes, preferring to occupy other people's.
Black-footed ferret
This is the smallest species of the Mustela family. It is distributed in North America - in Canada and the USA. The body length of the animal is only forty-five cm, and the weight is a little more than a kilogram. The fur of the black-footed ferret is very beautiful: it is white at the base, and gradually darkens at the tips of the hairline. This color gives the overall yellowish color to the fur-bearing animal. Because of the fur, the black-footed polecat is among the endangered species. Fortunately, people stopped in time from the extermination of this fur-bearing animal. The American polecat is listed in the US Red Book. But until 1996, individuals of this species lived only in captivity. Now they are being released into their natural habitat. At this time, there are about six hundred individuals. The American black-footed ferret feeds mainly on ground squirrels, shamelessly occupying their holes. To survive, a family of black-footed ferrets needs to eat two hundred and fifty rodents a year, which is why they live near the accumulation of their game.
Fretka, or furo
It is known that Mustela putorius furo was bred from the dark forest polecat. They have the same number of chromosomesthey produce completely he althy and capable offspring. But for domestication, individuals of albinos were often taken. Therefore, another name was assigned to the furo - the white ferret. Not everyone liked the red eyes and poor he alth of albinos. To strengthen it, ferrets were sometimes crossed with wild forest relatives, so the color of the fur of domestic animals can be different: sable, mother-of-pearl, fawn, golden. In terms of intelligence, they are close to cats. But they not only respond to the nickname, but are also able to walk on a leash, as well as perform various commands, like dogs. Baby ferrets are very playful and mobile. The animal becomes attached to the owner, trusting other people.
Caring for ferrets
Breeders often assure a potential furo buyer that the care of the animals is minimal, since ferrets are omnivorous. This is not entirely true. The fact is that ferrets, including ferrets, are obligate predators. This means that their food can be animals comparable to them in size. In the wild, ferrets do not eat beef or pork. But this does not mean at all that the owner of the ferret should catch gophers in order to feed his pet. Domestic ferrets perceive poultry and rabbit meat well. From time to time they can be given veal, lamb and offal. You have to be careful with fish. Ferrets can only flounder, horse mackerel, haddock, mackerel, cod and trout. The owner of a furo (especially an albino) should pay attention to the he alth of his pet. In addition to rabies and distemper, there are also specific diseases of ferrets. This is viral plasmacytosis (Aleutian disease),insulinoma and hyperestrogenism. Ferrets also get human flu.
