Ferrets seem so “mainstream” these days that it’s easy to forget their unusual natural and “unnatural” history. Please read on…
Classification: Just What Exactly is a Ferret?
The domestic ferret is classified in the order Carnivora, family Mustelidae, along with 75+ species of weasels, otters, skunks, badgers, wolverines and related animals.
Ranging in size from the least weasel (which, at 2.5 ounces in weight, is the world’s smallest carnivore) to the 7-foot-long, 100 pound Giant Otter, the family Mustelidae includes familiar animals such as skunks and sea otters as well as the little-studied Chinese Ferret-Badgers and tayras. Read More »