Black ferret: description and how it looks, species and where it lives, lifestyle

Common ferret lives on the territory of Eurasia, belongs to the weasel family. This is one of the most typical species of the genus. Consider the external characteristics of the forest or black ferret, its subspecies, features of build and color. Where animals live, what lifestyle they support, what enemies they protect themselves from. Their behavior, food in nature and reproduction.

What does a forest (black) ferret look like

The body structure of the black ferret has common features with the structure of all mustelids. The forest ferret can produce hybrids with the steppe species and the mink, the same species was domesticated and called the ferret. Hybrid animals are capable of reproduction, which indicates their close relationship.

Constitution

It has a long flexible body, due to short legs - squat. The animal is small, the weight, depending on the sex, varies greatly: males - 1-1.5 kg, females - 0.65-0.8 kg. Forest ferrets, thanks to their narrow body, can make their way into holes, both their own and their food - mice and voles.

Color

The hair of an adult animal is black-brown, almost black legs, belly, neck and chest, fluffy tail. On the muzzle - a mask characteristic of ferrets. The forest view differs from the steppe in the absence of a sharp transition from dark areas to lighter ones. It is to this species that domestic ferrets with cream and white coloration (albinos) belong.

Color variability is observed in subspecies, the differences are in different tones of the color characteristic of the species. In winter, the coat is generally darker than in summer. The fur of a black ferret is considered valuable, but, due to the general low abundance, the animal does not belong to a commercial species.Wool acquires special splendor, length and shine in autumn and winter, protecting the animal from frost.

Building features

The legs of the black ferret are strong and agile, allowing the animal to run fast, sneak up on prey, dig tunnels and minks. The fingers have sharp claws. The neck is long, flexible, the head is small, oval, as if flattened laterally. The ears are wide at the base, not long. The eyes are small, shiny, brown. Of the senses, ferrets rely most on their sense of smell, although their eyesight and hearing are also highly developed.

Types of ferrets

The species has 7 subspecies: Western and Central Russian forest, Welsh, Scottish, Mediterranean, Carpathian. The domesticated subspecies is the domestic ferret (furo).

Where do they live?

Wild black ferrets are common in Western Europe. There is a large population of predators in England, in Russia, Karelia and Finland. There are populations of the species even in the forest areas of northwest Africa.

Forest ferrets and ferrets were brought to New Zealand to kill rats and mice. But over time, as often happens, predators have become a threat to local herbivorous species. And farmers don't really like ferrets because they hunt poultry.

Lifestyle and behavior

Black ferrets usually settle in small groves separated from each other by meadows and fields. They avoid large forest areas. They are found in floodplains and near water bodies. Animals can swim. They are not afraid of people and can live near towns and villages, sometimes going there to hunt poultry and rabbits.Moreover, they are distinguished by harmfulness, like all mustelids - they can eat one bird or animal, and simply strangle the rest.

The way of life of the forest ferret is sedentary, they choose a certain territory and become attached to it. The territory of an individual is large, it can intersect with the territory of other ferrets. Marking its boundaries, animals put marks using a special secret secreted by the glands under the tail. This is a sign to relatives that the area is occupied. Animals use heaps of branches, stumps, haystacks as shelter. They dig their own burrows in secluded places, they also use the old burrows of foxes and badgers. If the animal is strongly disturbed, it abandons the old dwelling and finds a new one nearby.

The ferret is not a silent creature. When he is displeased or annoyed, he makes a hissing sound, squeals and screams during a fight.In a good mood, the animal makes sounds reminiscent of chicken clucking; when attacked or frightened, it makes a short bark. Young individuals up to 1.5-2 months old can “creak” loudly.

Forest ferrets live alone, finding a mate only during the mating season. Or they meet with relatives if they violate the territory, but then it comes to a fight.

Natural nutrition

Black ferrets feed mainly on mice and voles. In summer, predators catch frogs, toads, young water rats, and wild birds. They hunt snakes, frogs, lizards and insects, such as locusts. They can crawl into rabbit holes and strangle rabbits.

They hunt birds, destroy nests located in grass or bushes, eat eggs and live chicks. They dig in the ground, find worms, insects, catch caterpillars and grasshoppers. Fish are rarely caught, so they do not take up much space in the diet. They almost do not eat plant foods, fruits and berries, only if they feel that they need to replenish the body's reserves with vitamins and mineral components.

Hunt in the evening and at night, stay in burrows during the day. They wait for the prey at the holes or catch on the run. In the summer they often go hunting, they eat the meat of the caught animals, and take the skins to the mink, where they cover the floor of their dwelling with them.

In the fall, they try to accumulate a lot of fat to make it easier to endure the winter cold. In winter, when the weather is favorable, they also go hunting. They pull hazel grouse and black grouse out from under the snow. During the hungry period, they can eat carrion or the remains of human food.

Enemies in the wild

By nature, black ferrets are fearless and aggressive, they can repulse enemies that surpass them in size and weight. They move in long jumps, if necessary, they can jump into the water and swim. They do not climb trees, but at the moment of danger they are able to hide in hollows located not high from the ground.

Forest ferrets, although predators, are not large in size.For this reason, wolves and foxes, lynxes can hunt them. Despite the fast running of ferrets, they do not always manage to get away from enemies, especially in open areas. Large birds of prey are also not averse to catching ferrets, during the day they are hunted by falcons and golden eagles, at night - by eagle owls and owls. If forest ferrets approach human settlements, they may be caught by stray dogs. Yes, and people themselves can hunt a fur-bearing animal, although this is prohibited.

The appearance of offspring

The breeding season of this species is long, from spring to autumn, slightly different depending on the climatic conditions in which the population lives. Females can bring offspring, starting from 10-11 months. They can breed up to 5-6 years. Females are caring and attentive to their children, in order to protect them from danger when they leave, they close the entrance to the hole with dry grass.Males do not take any part in the upbringing of offspring, they are with the female only for the duration of mating. Stable families are not created either, new couples are formed every year.

Pregnancy in the species lasts 39-42 days, the number of cubs in the litter is 4-6. Newborn puppies are naked, blind, and therefore completely helpless. At a very young age, they depend on their mother. Females feed their cubs with milk, by the age of one month, when their teeth begin to appear, they begin to accustom them to meat food. The brood stays with the female until autumn, less often until spring, then leaves the parental hole and sets off for independent life.

A year after birth, ferrets become sexually mature and are able to bear offspring themselves. They live in nature for 5-7 years, but this is only an approximate age, in fact, life expectancy depends on many factors: diseases, predators, weather and food availability.

Forest ferrets live throughout Western and Central Europe. They are not rare species, but they do not differ in a large population. They lead a lifestyle that is inherent in all small predators of their family - they hunt rodents and small animals, raise cubs.

Recommended