Steppe ferret: description and subspecies, habitat and home maintenance

The steppe ferret can be found in European and Asian countries, the population of the species is distributed from Eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean. This is a species of nocturnal predators from the weasel family. Consider the external characteristics of the animal, its habitat, the main diet. How he lives and breeds in the wild, how to keep him at home as a pet.

Appearance of the steppe ferret

The steppe ferret looks like relatives from its family. Briefly, it can be described as a small animal with a long, flexible body, 50-55 cm long, with a tail up to 18 cm long. An adult weighs up to 2 kg, which makes the species the largest of the ferrets.The awn is long, but sparse, under it there is a dense light down. The end of the tail, paws and muzzle are dark. All 3 subspecies have this coloration, including the Amur ferret.

Subspecies of steppe ferrets

The species includes 3 subspecies - steppe, Hungarian and Amur. They almost do not differ from each other, easily interbreed, giving offspring capable of reproduction.

Habitat

The ranges of subspecies intersect at the borders. The steppe polecat lives on a vast territory from the Czech Republic and Yugoslavia to the Far East and east of China. The Hungarian subspecies occupies an area west of the Carpathians, the steppe subspecies lives east of the mountains, and the Amur subspecies in the Far East.

According to climatic conditions, he lives in the forest-steppe, steppe and semi-desert. It does not occur in forests and settlements. The European population lives at an altitude of up to 0.8 km, the Central Asian - up to 1.2 km.

What does it eat?

Steppe ferrets, like the rest of the family, are predators.Plant foods are eaten very rarely if they lack vitamins or fiber. Ferrets hunt for typical inhabitants of the steppes - ground squirrels, mice, rodents, hamsters. They can catch small birds, frogs and snakes, insects and larvae. If they live near water, they can fish.

Harm to domestic animals and birds is rarely caused, as they try not to come close to human habitation. In the summer they hunt every day, in the winter, when possible, they stock up.

Reproduction

Steppe ferrets spend their lives alone, hunting in their territory. They let outsiders in, but mark the borders with a secret with a strong scent. They are non-aggressive towards individuals of their gender. They meet with females only during the breeding season, which begins at the end of winter.At this time, males fight, winning the attention of females.

After mating, the female arranges a nest in the grass, hay, rarely in hollows of trees, lines the floor with dry grass or down of dead birds.

Pregnancy lasts approximately 1.5 months. 6-10 burrows are born. If the litter dies for any reason, after 1-4 weeks the female will be ready for breeding again. The male helps the mother raise the cubs. The female feeds them with milk for up to 2.5 months, then they learn to get food on their own. Until the time when the babies are covered with wool, the mother sits in the nest almost all the time. Until the ferrets leave the nest, the parents boldly protect them from enemies. Young growth becomes capable of reproduction at 10-12 months.

Wild Survival

They are nocturnal, they rarely hunt during the day. Permanent dwellings are built on hills; for this, former rodent burrows are occupied, expanded and equipped.Their own burrows are rarely dug and are used as a temporary rather than a permanent home. In the fields they make nests in tall grass, in crevices of stones, between the roots of stumps.

Steppe ferrets move in long jumps, almost do not climb trees, but can jump from a height. Animals can swim and dive. They protect themselves from enemies by spraying a secret with an unpleasant odor at them.

Home maintenance

The fashion for keeping ferrets as pets has recently appeared in Russia. Representatives of the steppe species can be used for keeping at home, in a cage. Living next to a person, they do not lose their behavior and character. Ferrets try to dig minks and hide valuable things in them, in their opinion. Rummaging through flower pots, dumping them on the floor.

Just like in nature, they lead a predominantly nocturnal life, which you need to be prepared for when getting an animal. During the day they rest and sleep. Because of the passion to climb into narrow cracks, the ferret can get stuck somewhere. Therefore, you need to keep the animal in a spacious cage, where it will be most of the time. If the pet is left in an apartment or house alone, it must be closed in a cage.

From other pets, steppe ferrets get along with cats and large dogs, they can offend small ones. You can not keep them with dogs of hunting breeds. If there are birds, hamsters, reptiles in the house, you will have to forget about the ferret or keep them in separate rooms so that the victims and the predator do not intersect.

Don't get a ferret if you have a baby in the house. Children usually see animals as toys, but unlike dogs and cats, ferrets will not tolerate being treated with disrespect and may bite or scratch. Ferrets are easy to contact with older children, so there should not be any problems.

You need to feed the steppe ferret meat food, give him fresh meat, offal. It can be beef, pork, poultry. You can feed the fish, but occasionally. In addition to natural food, predators eat ready-made combined feeds in the form of dry granules. If this option is selected, only high quality feed should be purchased. Fresh clean water is a must. You can not feed leftovers from the table, smoked meats, spicy, pickled and fried foods, sweets. Sometimes you can give a little vegetable or fruit.

Ferrets are smart animals, they can be taught to go to the tray like a cat. In addition to the cage, you need to purchase a feeder and drinker, a bed or a hammock in which the ferret will sleep or rest. You will also need shampoo for hair care, a nail clipper, a basket for carrying the animal and a harness for walking. By the way, pets love to walk, but they are just as active on the street as they are indoors, so they should walk only under the supervision of the owner.

Hori tolerate any temperature well, so they can go out for a walk in summer and winter. Walking is good for the physical condition of the animal and its psyche.

Keeping a ferret as a pet is suitable for young, active people who like to communicate with animals and who can tolerate inconvenience, pay attention to a predator, and care for him. In order to properly organize the maintenance of an exotic pet with peculiarities in behavior, it is advisable to get advice from breeders or in clubs for breeding animals of this family before buying it.

Steppe ferrets live in the steppe regions of Europe and Asia. According to external characteristics, behavior and food preferences, they are almost no different from other species of the family. Almost all of them live in the wild, but quickly adapt and get used to living near people.

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