What is a Ferret?

A.K.A. "Look, Ma, that girl's walkin' a rat on a leash!!"

Taxonomy of the Domesticated Ferret
Kindgom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order Carnivora
Family Mustelidae
Genus Mustela
Species putorius
Subspecies furo The domesticated ferret: Mustela putorius furo

When I take one of my ferrets out for a walk around the neighborhood, I am always bombarded with questions. I have been asked some pretty strange things. One common question/assumption is that ferrets are rodents, like rats or squirrels. I have also been asked if my ferret was a strange looking new kind of dog, and one dear lady, for some incomprehensible reason, was under the impression that ferrets did not have tongues.

Anyhow, the domesticated ferret, Mustela putorius furo (sometimes called simply Mustela furo), is most certainly NOT A RAT! It is thought to be most closely related to the European polecat, Mustela putorius, though this is somewhat controversial. Its closest cousins include the ermine (Mustela erminea), the mink (Mustela vison), and the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). Other, less close relatives include badgers and otters. Click here for comparison photos.

To make a long story short and simple, ferrets are weasels, and they are carnivorous. Check a ferret's teeth at your next opportunity -- do rodents have fangs? *g*

They range in size from 1 pound or less for a small female to over 5 pounds for a large male. The average size is about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds for a female, and around 2 1/2 to 3 pounds for a male.

They reach maturity in six months. Their lifespan is in dispute. The oldest known ferret is 14 years old, but most vets consider ferrets over the age of 6 years or so to be elderly. The average ferret probably lives to be 6-8 years old.

If you want to know more, check out the Natural History FAQ from Ferret Central.