Black ferret forest dweller

Black ferret, as it is called, or, more scientifically – common ferret is a small animal that belongs to the genus of Mustelidae. It is quite famous among pet lovers.

Despite the fact that it is only wild beasts, he often give birth at home, because the one great root and without any problems living with people for many years.

The fact that he is able to build relationships with people, no doubt, good. But it would be useful to know what is this animal, where its ordinary habitat, what it eats, is it a predator or herbivore, what are its habits in the wild, and more.Dr.

The wild ferret

Winter frost and hunger are pushing wild ferrets to move closer to the human dwelling. Perhaps this fact explains the beginning of the relationship between ferret and human.

Habitat

Let’s start with the issue where there are black ferrets?

The population of these animals distributed mainly on the European continent. Also, it covers the whole of Western Europe. Black ferrets occur on the lands of Ireland and the UK.

In our country, the habitat of these representatives of the weasel family stretches from the Western border and ends near the Urals. They live,we can say, almost everywhere, only the territory of the Caucasus to the mouths of the Volga, in the Extreme North and in the Northern part of Karelia and the far North these animals we will meet.

The black ferrets also called forest.

Forest ferrets for your stay choose these areaswhere there is:

• small forest,
• groves,
• field
• meadows.

In these localities to meet such a creature on the forest edges and clearings, where the vegetation is not too dense.

Ferret prefers to live near water:

• wetlands,
• lakes
• in the floodplains.

Despite the fact that now the polecat is a pet, people who live in rural areas, this animal attitude sometimes very negative. And the reason is the custom of wild ferrets quite often, especially in the winter, cold months attack chicken coops and other homes with poultry and eat chickens, Chicks, ducks, geese and their offspring.

The polecat is a valuable fur-bearing animal. In older years, the product from the skin of a ferret was considered very valuable and prestigious due to their valuable qualities. In today’s world, hunting them is prohibited. as the population size decreased significantly, and the animal registered in the Red book.

Looks like a ferret

The size of the animal, in appearance it does not differ from other representatives of its family.

But at the same time, describing the appearance of this animal, it should elaborate on some characteristics.

1. Color. Wild weasel has a base of brown-black color. Paws, tail, back and face are painted in a darker color.
2. On the sides and on the belly the coat is much lighter than on other parts of the body of the animal. In winter, after the period of active molt, molting animal becomes darker in color than in the warm season. There are many color variations of wild weasel. Basically it is completely brown, with stains and completely white, i.e. albino (furoo).
3. Meh. A ferret’s fur is not very thick, but long and shiny. On the back it grows to 6 cm Despite the fact that in summer it has a pretty nondescript color, after pre-winter moult, she almost the entire surface becomes completely black and fluffy.
4. Head. As a rule, it is oval, slightly flattened laterally. She gradually becomes elongated and flexible neck.
5. Ears. Small. Have a wide base.
6. Eyes. Brown, small and shiny.
7. Body. Torso ferrets have flexible, slender, its length comes to 48 cm and making of the animal is very nimble, allowing him to penetrate even into very narrow holes.
8. Paws. The black polecat all the limbs thick and short. Hind legs have large males are only not more than 6-8 cm, and that is why the animal looks so squat. However, these features did not prevent him from being a very agile, nimble, agile and very fast. His strong limbs with five fingers.They are equipped with very sharp claws. Between the toes shows a small ear. They allow the ferret when necessary, quite cleverly dig.
9. Tail. It is 1\4 of the entire length of this creature, the size of the tail is usually in the range of 8 – 16 inches.
10. Weight.His record is very mobile. It changes typically the time of year. In winter time, the ferret begins to gain weight and to gain weight of your body in order to accumulate enough fat to be able with it to successfully overwinter. Males can sometimes weigh up to 2 kg,females – up to 2 times less.

The polecat

View of a forest of black ferrets not for nothing is his second name, which indicates the area in which this species most often lives. the habitat of these animals – small forest.

The polecat moved a long low jumps, pretty good swimmer. In trees it is usually not leset, but in those moments when he faces mortal danger, he is able to climb in hollow trees, which are located low to the ground.

Food

If you are a lover of this animal and want to have as a pet,the question is a predator whether or not it is fundamental. About nutrition ferret need to know everything.

Ferret, no doubt, predator. In this regard, the answer to the question, what to eat ferrets in the wild, will be contributing: this is due to the needs of his species. What is included in the diet of the ferret?

In the diet of the ferret typically consists of:

1. Small rodents (the hero of our article with surprising agility catches mice and rats, and digs up out of the land of voles and moles.
2. If the polecat belongs to some larger mind or he remarkably his physique, the food he can go the unwary rabbits or young muskrats.
3. Happy hero of our article and also eats frogs and lizards. He is able to cope even with very large snakes. Jacket not to worry, she is harmless or poisonous.
4. Ferret is able to catch even birds . It ravages nests if they are located on the ground or in shrubs. The polecat also kills the Chicks or she’s eating eggs.
5. Ferret loves to dig in the ground in order to extract the tasty worms, he is also happy to consume different insects: butterflies, caterpillars, grasshoppers and so on.
6. Its diet included fish sometimes, but she has a small place in the diet of this animal, as it requires more time and labor.
7. Berries, fruit and grass ferret eats rarely, only when needed to fill the balance of vitamins and minerals. The popularity of this kind of food because its stomach is not designed to digest plant foods.

To remedy the lack of fiber and other necessary nutrients can ferret through the consumption of stomach contents of herbivores they caught.

With the arrival of spring to the end of the inwinter months polecat no difficulty finding food for themselves. Before the approach of winter he began to eat to create more body fat. When come the cold, food becomes much more difficult to produce. But our animal is a predator, and this means that a born hunter. He was not discouraged and begins to dig in the snow. Then it becomes prey, not only small rodents but also large birds – grouse, black grouse, buried overnight in snow. When eating absolutely no no, the animal does not pass by and fell, and wastes of human food.

Behaviors

Ferret alone, he communicates with females only in the mating season.

Each individual of this species has its own hunting grounds, he is their “herding”, that is, living on them constantly. Their hunting territory is usually quite extensive, the males it takes up to two and a half thousand hectares. Females have a territory feeding usually smaller, sometimes part of them overlaps with the territories of males, sometimes partly included in them. circumambulating their possessions, ferrets leave her label, so that others know that the place is busy and guarded.

In inconspicuous place ferret digs for itself the burrow with a short hole and a pocket where the rest. Mink is in the nature of permanent residence. But if it is in the home of someone scared or otherwise compromised, then the ferret is leaving their old housing and looking for another place to stay.

Sometimes for permanent residence , he chooses the remnants of dry twigs or a hollow under an old tree stump. When the woods are full of food, well-fed and contented animal sleeps during the day, and the activity begins to manifest in the dusk and at night. If on site the feed is not enough, he goes on the hunt for long distances. In the adverse bad weather days the animal can not get out of the hole.

The behavior of the ferret

A distinctive characteristic of the wild ferret is the courage with a touch of aggressiveness. When meeting with an enemy even stronger than him in power and size, our hero fearlessly rushes into battle. Also, the ferret is merciless to his victims if he entered the coop, it will kill only one bird, but all remaining – suffocate. The same behavior he repeats in nature: attacking a birds nest, he will kill all of its inhabitants, although he will eat quite a bit.

The enemies of the forest polecat

Ferrets forest, as we have already explained, animals are not too big, so in the wild they have enemies who can hurt them or kill.

The main enemies should be written first wolves. Despite the fact that ferrets are very quick, to get away from large animals in open areas where there’s nowhere to hide, it is, however, difficult.

Foxes also attack our hero, especially in winter, when very little, mice are either there or they are not satisfied, and the rabbits too quick and is not always granted if they are to catch.

Among the larger birds also have a wish to catch the animal: at night is an owl and owls, and falcons and Golden eagles.

Lynx is another animalthat likes to eat ferrets. the deadly teeth of the wild cat, her resourcefulness, cunning and dexterity do not give up hope on the life of this animal.

If the ferrets occupy the territory in the steppe zone, the threat it will represent the stray dogs.

Although, frankly, the most ruthless and terrible enemy for the ferret, is able to increase the population until the complete destruction, however, people. It is because of our mind, this beast is listed in the Red book.