"BARTOLO - BABY BART"

January Meeting Topic

Other Mustelids

 The domestic ferret, who is kind enough to grace our homes, has many wilder cousins. Some of the domestic ferret's cousins include: river and sea otters, badgers, skunks, martens, and of course weasels (no family resemblance here).

The members of the Family Mustelidae do share some commonalities. The first being they are all fur bearing ­ although for our carpet sharks, their pelts are deemed a poor quality, (Personally, I feel that the one who looks best in a fur coat is the animal who was in it originally! ~ Editor's note, Romeo) secondly, they all share long bodies; they are very curious (biologists studying live-trapped martens caught the same inquisitive male 75 times!) or was that persistent? They are all also very playful, another trait that is not lost on the Domestic Ferret.

Otters tend to be the longest and heaviest members of the mustelid family. With the North American River Otter measuring a healthy 100 to 153 centimeters, and the Sea Otter weighing up to 90 lbs, they are the heavyweights of their smaller cousins.

The North American River Otter ranges throughout the midwestern, western, and southwestern United States up through western Canada.  Their habitats are lakes, wooded treams, coastal marshes, and some rocky seacoasts. They tend to choose dens that have been dug by other animals.  Their primary source of food is fish, but they will supplement this diet with crust-aceans, amphi-bians, reptiles, birds and insects.

The European Otter is similar to the North American River Otter. Both species have webbed feet and they both have suffered to habitat destruction. The European Otter often falls victim to the automobile.  The European Otter can live up to 12 years, but most do not get over 4 in the wild.  There are several reintroduction efforts for the river otter, both in Europe and the United States.

One of the happier stories in the family mustelidae, is that of the Sea Otters'. They were hunted to near extinction in the mid 1700's to the mid 1800's for their rich, dense coat (which has 1,600,200 hairs per square inch).  This silky, velvety fur coat enables them to stay warm in the water. Because their hair is so dense, the otters can trap air in their coats which traps the warmth of their bodies, enabling them to stay warm in the most frigid of water. Because their paws have no fur upon them, they will stick them out of the water to keep them warm. Wet on skin means chilled.  Their current range is from the Aleutian Islands to south of Santa Barbara, California with their population at around 2,000 otters.

Sea Otters do not eat fish predominately in the wild, unlike many commercial fishermen claim, instead they prefer shellfish and sea urchins. And because of this selective diet, the sea otters do a service to the kelp forests they live in by keeping the organisms in check that feed on the kelp. Sea Otters eat 30% of their body weight daily. Sea Otters use tools to crack open the shellfish and use the kelp to anchor themselves in place when relaxing so they do not drift out into the sea.  Like both species of river otter, the sea otter shares the webbed feet­but only their front pair, the rear feet are flippers!

The next largest mustelid is the wolverine with the males weigh-ing 18 to 42 lbs. They prefer forests and tundra; therefore, make their homes is in Alaska, Canada's British Columbia, Yukon and NW territories, with some overlap in Washington and Minnesota.   They will eat anything they can find or kill. The wolverine is a poor hunter, so many follow wolves or bears to scavenge the kills.

The Pine Marten is also a mustelid that makes its home in forests throughout Canada, Washington, as well as in some areas of California and Colorado.  Pine Martens require large areas of forest in order to survive. Females generally require 750 acres of old growth forest and males can require up to 4900 acres. They prefer areas that have around 40 stumps and at least 120 logs per acre. This dense environment not only gives the Pine Marten dens, but also areas that are below snow levels during winter, and habitats for their prey (mice, rabbits, insects).  Pine Martens will not cross open areas of land if at all possible. Unfortunately, due to this trait, they are now a protected spieces due to the alarming loss of habitat to human development and logging.  Pine Martens' coat color ranges from dark brown to strawberry blond. In winter, they grow hair on their feet to keep warm in the snow.

The only other spieces of mustelids to be taken as a pet are the skunks.  The striped skunk ranges throughout the United States and Southern Canada. Due to their omnivore nature, they are one of the few wild animals that can adapt to man's encroachment into the wilder environment.  If their preferred habitat of woodlands or grassy plains is developed, skunks are more than happy to make themselves at home in suburbia.

The Weasel is a relative close cousin to the ferret. Weighing less than 4.4 lbs, having long, slim bodies and short legs, a flat-topped, sharpfaced, almost triangular head, and rounded ears, they are the closest in size and dimensions to our Domestic Ferret.  As a group, weasels are among the most widespread carnivores in the world. They make their homes in the cold north to the tropical equator. They tend to be territorial hunters, taking whatever small rodents, rabbits, birds, insects, lizards and frogs are available.

Next in their ferretiness are the Mink. Mink is still highly prized for its exceptional coat, and is "farmed" for it. However, many Mink still roam wild in Europe and the United States.  Mink are solitary and territorial. Individuals defend linear territories of .6 - 2.5 miles of river. Each territory has several waterside dens.   The American Mink, which has a superior coat, was taken to Europe for fur farming, but some of the energetic animals escaped into the wilderness. The American Mink has now started to naturalize itself to the European landscape and threaten the already over hunted European Mink.

Badgers are the next mustelid discussed. Badgers are a widespread group of mostly carnivorous, medium-sized, stocky mustelids.  Badgers have powerfully built, wedgeshaped bodies, with a small head and a short thick neck. In all but ferret badgers, the tail is short.  Most Badgers are nocturnal, although some are active in the daylight in quiet areas. Their eyesight tends to be poor, but the sense of smell is well developed.  Badgers have a tough skin, bearing long, coarse guard hairs, often dull in color.  Although generally shy and retiring animals, both American and Eurasian Badgers are occasionally found living in urban areas in close proximity to man.

And last, but not least is the Black-Footed Ferret. No, not the cute sables that we have crisscrossing our living room floors, but the most endangered mustelid in North America - actually they are the most endangered mammal in North America.  

The Black-Footed Ferret shares many characteristics with our domestic carpet sharks. It is a 1.5 lb., long bodied, short legged mustelid. It even sports a mask and black legs, but unlike the domestic sable, the markings on the legs do not continue up the shoulders or the rear of the ferret.  There are differences to watch for to tell the difference between a domesticated and a true Black-Footed Ferret. Their heads are broader and flatter, with their muzzles being less pointed than their domestic cousins. Their eyes are larger, as are the ears, and there are prominent white brow spots above each eye in their masks. Their front feet are also larger as is needed for a strong digger. The Black-Footed Ferret tends to be a lighter color than their domestic sable patterned cousin. They can range from a buff to a brown.

They tend to be solitary, nocturnal creatures only coming together for breeding and kit-rearing. The life of the Black-Footed Ferret is inextricably linked to prairie dogs. Not only do prairie dogs serve as their food source, the prairie dogs provide the Ferrets with dens. So the severe decline of their prey, the prairie dog, has also led to the severe decline of the Black-Footed Ferret. The only known live Black-Footed Ferrets exist in captivity. These individuals came from the Wyoming population, they were rescued from an outbreak of canine distemper, which is fatal the Black-Footed Ferret.

The Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team is one of the groups that have organized to help save the declining species of the mustelidae family. Due to the involvement of BFFRIT, the U.S. Fish Wildlife Service and other groups, there are now 450 Black-Footed Ferrets in captive breeding facilities. They are looking to release ferrets in 6 areas in the West. Unfortunately they are in need of funds to make sure the Black-Footed Ferret continues on into the next millennium. Currently there is an effort to reestablish a viable Black-Footed Ferret colony. For more information, contact the Black-Footed Ferret Adoption Program at 303-236-8145, ext.687.

There are many resources available on the family Mustelidae, from your vet to the local library to the internet. We encourage you to look and to support efforts to help the endangered Mustelids cousins of our Domestic Ferret.

MUSTELID SITES ONLINE

http://www.sharpphoto.com/pm101.html

http://www.bcadventures.com/adventure/wilderness/animals/index.html

http://www.seaotters.org/

http://www.otter.org/

http://www.nyotter.org/

http://www.otternet.com/index.htm

http://sciweb.onysd.wednet.edu/sciweb/zoology/mammalia/weasles/marten.html

http://www.rnet.net/linds_megs_zoo/mammals/The_Weasel_Family/marten.htm

http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/mammpg.htm

http://www.erols.com/sharon-mark/weaseltext%20S%20private.htm

http://www.gov.ab.ca/env/fw/watch/wes/f.html

http://www.timberland.org/Fish.htm

Shelter Notes

A HAPPY ENDING FOR FOUR...

On January 14, Steve and Becky McMall posted a message to the FLC mailing list regarding four ferrets needing a home in Lawton, OK. Steve and Becky McMall heard about these ferrets from Troy Lynn Eckart, who runs Ferret Family Services in Manhattan, KS. Shortly after receiving word of the ferrets needing a home, Kozy Kingdom Ferret Rescue went to work. We contacted a lady we knew in Lawton, OK that we knew would foster these ferrets if needed. Thanks To Troy Lynn, we were able to get in touch with the family in Oklahoma about the ferrets. During the next few days, we contacted several families in Texas seeking out a potential home. The four ferrets needing a home were all older ferrets, between the ages of four and six years. Under the guise that they were all ECE free, we were concerned that bringing them to the Dallas/Ft Worth area would potentially expose them. Considering their age Kozy Kingdom was actively working to place them in a home that would keep them from the ECE exposure.

After speaking with the family in Oklahoma, we still believed these ferrets were ECE free. We needed to find a home where these ferrets would not be at risk of ECE and a family that would open their home to four elderly ferrets. Generally, when people contact us they want to adopt a ferret that's quite young in age. For most, the younger the better, so this proved to be quite the challenge.

A short time before hearing about the four Lawton ferrets, Kozy Kingdom had been in touch with several families in west Texas and the Panhandle. Having lived in this area, we knew this area to be of less risk for ECE exposure. Forgoing some of our traditional adoption process, we conducted a telephone interview to determine if any of the families would be a suitable home for the wayward four in Lawton.

After speaking with three families, one in Abilene, one in Odessa and one in the panhandle, the family in Odessa seemed like the most promising prospect. After talking with them for quite some time over the telephone, we decided this family was definitely the one. They love animals as we all do, and they have been adopted as well by many critters. We talked to the family in Oklahoma and told them what we had. They wanted to take part in the adoption process and meet the potential new family. We did not mind and after talking with the Odessa family, it was not a problem for them either. On Tuesday, February 9, 1999, we met in Abilene. We got to our meeting point and met the OK family and ferrets. There was McLeod (McCloud), a chubby silver mitt boy, Cirrocco (Rocco), a chocolate boy, Ahzz (Oz), a blaze boy, and Victoria, a sable girl, the only lady and the youngest of the group. The OK family asked if we would like to hold them, we said "No," as Kozy Kingdom is ECE positive and did not want to risk exposing them. The family gave us a weird look but said nothing. The Odessa family still had not shown up. After 2 hours of waiting and beginning to panic, we talked about what we were to do with the ferrets. It did not seem the Odessa family was going to show. After some discussion, we decided to take them to San Angelo temporarily until we found them a home. We did not want to bring them into the Dallas area due to the ECE status. As we talked about this, the OK family realized that we thought their ferrets were ECE free. It was clear that was just a misunderstanding, when we asked if the ferrets were ECE positive, they said no because they thought we were asking if they were actively showing signs of ECE. This was a major load off shoulders of Kozy Kingdom. We told then what we had thought and they were relieved as they were wondering why, if we loved ferrets so much, why we did not want to touch their ferrets.

All relieved and concerned about the Odessa family at the same time the OK family began to say their good-byes to their ferrets and we finished loading the truck. As they said their good-byes, the Odessa family pulled up. They had some car problems and tried to call us but could not get a hold of us. We talked, the OK family said their good-byes again and they were on their way back to OK. We followed the Odessa family back to their place to help them settle in with the new additions to their family.

When we got to Odessa, the poor ferrets were tired, carsick and HOT. Quickly we put water in the tub and dunked ferrets. Everyone was ok, with the exception of McLeod who vomited a little. We dried ferrets, finished setting up their cage and settled them into it. They quickly fell asleep. As they slept, we educated the new family on ferrets. We taught them how to clean ears, clip nails, what foods are good, etc...

Confident in their new home and family we headed on our way the long drive back to the DFW area. This story reminds us that there is always a home for any wayward ferret; it is just a matter of finding it.

Matthew a.k.a. Krazy Kritter

Kozy Kingdom Ferret Rescue http://kozykingdom.com
VP of Computer Resources, FLC of TX http://texasferret.org
Shelter/Rescue Committee Chair, AFA http://ferret.org
ICQ:279754 AOLIM:KzyKngdm Y!Pager:KozyKingdom

Kozy Kingdom would like to congratulate the following families for opening their homes and hearts
to new ferret bundles of joy in January and February 1999:

1999
Ferret Calendars

ON SALE
$13ea

Go to www.texasferret.org to order one now or calll us on the Club Hotline.

Legalization Officer NEEDED

We need someone who is interested in seeing ferret "legalized" in the metroplex. If you can help please call the ferret hotline and leave a message. Unfortunately without some interest in the legalization efforts of our club, we will be forced to slow down our efforts. Due to a surprise pregnancy our current Legalization Officer has had to resign, therefore we are needing some quickly.

Help us help our ferrets become legal in your towns as well as others!

Thank You

Last Day to Order
Totally Ferret® is Feb. 16th

For NEXT Delivery

Gentle Touch®

&

TOTALLY FERRET®

817-683-6363

Special Pricing for Club Members

Kozy Kingdom
Halfway House & Rescue
P.O. Box 201013
Arlington, TX 76006-1013

PRESIDENT & VICE PRESIDENT NEEDED

Congratulations to Debra, our last president, on the surprise pregnancy. Unfortunately, it has meant that she has had to give up her title as President. We are needing some members who are interested in filling some vacant officer positions. If you are interested, please email: president@texasferret.org or call the club at 817 498 1470 and leave a message. While our current officers are a talented group, they cannot do everything we need to do as a club. Your help is needed!

Thank You

ZEUS: A FERRET'S VIEW

Hello All,

My name is Zeus, and this is the first installment of many from my personal journal. I encourage all you ferret-mongrels to contribute to my new column by sending me subjects to write about. I have opinions and comments on everything, so if you want to know how I feel, just send your suggestions to my daddies' email (it can be found elsewhere in this newsletter, or send to membership@texasferret.com) or send it snail mail to the clubs PO Box, also found elsewhere in this newsletter.

So, for my first journal entry I will give you a smattering of what runs through my little mind when I am not asleep. I know you English speakers have all kinds of names for us, and frankly some are just not very nice, but do you know the word for ferret in foreign languages? I know two different ones: in German we are called "die Fretchen" and in Russian we are called "xopėk" (pronounced khoryok). I found this to be interesting in a weird way, so if you know the word for ferrets in other languages send it in and I will put it in my column to share with everyone.

I guess I should talk about my favorite subject (besides food), and that's ME!!! I am a deaf ferret, but I sure am a cute one with a little white blaze on my head. In my opinion I am the cutest ferret in my play group, everything I do is cute (eat, sleep, run, play, beg, you name it and I do it cute). I came to live with my dads when they picked me up at the North Richland Hills Animal Control office. My old owners did not want me anymore and they put me on the animal truck when the driver was not looking. They got me from a local breeder and evidently they thought I was mean or couldn't take care of me. Well my new dads took me home, and they know how to treat a ferret. I had some new digs, very plush, but I did not get along with other ferrets they had. So, after a trip to the vet and a short operation (three things happened after that surgery - my voice went up, I had a sore butt, and I did not stink anymore), I made friends with these other guys. I sure did have fun, chasing the little girls around and beating them up. I think I was supposed to go to a shelter, but my dads kept me, which I thank them for everyday with lots of kisses and grooming, and an occasional bite (that's for the surgery and the sore butt, but not too hard I promise).

Now I live in a play group (or business) of 10 ferrets, which I am the leader of (Note from Dad: Zeus thinks he is the leader, however, there are some in the group who disagree!). Over the year and a half after my dads got me, our population grew, my dads saved lots of ferrets from going to the shelter. I kept count of all of us, I guess you could call me the official ferret census taker here. From ten, we went to 12, then 16 and 17. Then after a few months we went to 20. I got concerned here since I was out of toes, I had to borrow them from my sister Sable (she did not like that at all) when we went to 22. Then in August of last year my brother Columbus died from an adrenal tumor, and we were all sad for a while. Then in September, an ex-club member called and asked if we could take her two ferrets for some reason, so then we were at 23 (I had to use Sable and her toes again). In November we got our newest brother, his name is Dilidio. He's number 24 (thanks again Sable), and I am told his name means delirious. That fits him well, cause he sure is crazy!.

My dads said we would stop there. I think that's a good idea. I'm tired of counting and beating up new guys, and frankly there is too many to keep up with sometimes. I even heard of some lady that had over a hundred - gosh that's a lot and it makes my brain hurt to count that high, much less worry about trips to the vet for shots (ouch!!!) and all that poop stuff (yuck!).

Oh well, that ends this installment. Don't forget to send me things to talk about, and if you don't then I will just have to make stuff up.

Your Ever Inquisitive Journalist,

Zeus

Editor's Note: The Romester here, Zeuz is the proud owner of Michael Runyon and Larry Fewell. Some of you might remember Zeus from the 1996 ferret Olympics as the "official" referee. If I continue to offer to lend Little Girl's toes to him, I think I can continue to get him to write his thoughts in our newsletter. Look forward to more­if Little Girl will be still!