What Are The Different Types Of Ferrets?

Ferrets, scientifically known as ‘Mustela putorius furo’ have the species ‘M putorius’. Ferrets have a lifespan of nearly 5-10 years. Ferrets have been one of the most popular pets in the U.S. These are clever, fun, and playful-type animals. Also, they are very social.

When it comes to types of ferrets, they can be categorized into several types based on color, size, and type of coat.

Types Of Ferrets As Pets

If you are planning to buy a ferret, then you might be wondering how many types of ferrets are pets? Or which are some best types of ferrets to have?

Well, ferrets are spread all over the world. From North-America to Australia to Europe to Africa, there are plenty of them. Many of them are considered wild and those types of ferrets are not kept as pets.

The Black-footed ferrets are the most famous wild ferrets. They are scientifically known as ‘Mustela nigripes’ and are native to North-America. They are also known as ‘American polecat’ or ‘prairie dog’. It has dark limbs and a pale body and a short tail.

The ferrets which are kept as pets are a domesticated form of ‘European Polecat’. They are 16 to 20 inches in size. Their weight varies from 0.7 to 2.0 kilograms. Male ferrets are bigger than female ferrets. These ferrets exist in many colors and coats. Stable color, Black-stable color, chocolate color, cinnamon color, albino color, white color, black are some of them. Some ferrets have spots or lines on their body too such as panda ferret, etc. But the most popular ferret is the stable ferret.

Ferrets make excellent pets. They are highly intelligent, fun, loving animals. Like dogs and cats, ferrets have been domesticated for over 1000 years.

They love to socialize and do fun tricks. They become attached to their owners and also makes happy noises and becomes excited, energized, and active when they see their owner.

Like other animals, ferrets also need your attention and care. Ferrets are one of those animals that may die of loneliness or depression. So, you should only buy a pet, if you can give it sufficient time and take its good care.

Different Species Of Ferrets

Ferrets belong in the kingdom ‘Animalia’, phylum- ‘Chordata’. Their class is ‘Mammalia’ and they belong to the ‘Mustelidae’ family. Their genus is ‘Mustela’. Ferrets are carnivores in nature. Ferrets can kill and eat animals like rabbits, rats, mice, birds, etc.

There exist different ferret species in the family ‘Mustelidae’. These species are found in different areas of the world.

Different Types Of Ferret Colors

There are several types of ferrets with varying colors. Here are some different ferrets based on their features.

• Stable Color

Stable colored ferrets are the most popular and commonly seen ferrets. These ferrets have black eyes, a pink to a black nose, and black legs. And the rest of the body has a lighter undercoat with brownish to blackish guard hairs. A few ferrets also have mitts on the stable color.

• Black Stable Color

Black stable color and regular stable color has a small difference. These ferrets have a slightly darker top layer and a lighter undercoat.

• Chocolate Color

These ferrets have a creamy chocolate appearance. They have brownish guard hair with a creamy or whitish undercoat.

A few ferrets also have mitts on the chocolate color and they are known as chocolate mint colored.

• Cinnamon Color

These ferrets have lighter brown to reddish color. Sometimes they appear to be golden. But cinnamon-colored ferrets are not commonly found.

• Champagne Color

These ferrets appear to have lighter chocolate color. They have a pink nose and usually white undercoat with light brown guard hairs.

• Black Color

Black color ferrets are darker than stable color ferrets. They have black eyes, black and sometimes spotted nose. Their guard hairs are completely black.

• Albino Color

These ferrets are white to cream. They have a pink nose, red to pink eyes.

• Dark-Eyes White Color

They have different eyes from albino color ferrets. Their eyes are dark, burgundy, or sometimes black.

• Blaze Color

Blaze colored ferrets have a coat of varied colors and unbroken white stripe. They also have mitts on their body and sometimes rings around their eyes. They have a pink nose and dark tail.

• Heavy Silver Color

They have whitish undercoat with deep gey guard hairs.

• Panda

These ferrets are known as panda because they have similar colors and stripes. Panda ferrets have a white head and a pink nose. They have dark hairs on their shoulders and legs and whitish on the rest of the body.

• Siamese

Siamese ferret has the same leg and tail color. It has a V-shaped mark on the body.

Some Siamese ferrets also have mitts on their body and they are known as Siamese-mitt colored.

• Dalmation:

They have spots or blotches on the back and a pink nose. Their eyes are black or dark ruby. Their rest of the body is white.

FAQs

1. What are the different types of ferrets?

Ferrets are of many colors stable, black stable, chocolate, cinnamon, champagne, black, albino, white with dark eyes, and more.

2. What is the best type of ferret to get?

Stable ferrets are the most popular ones. You can get these easily at the pet shop.

3. Can ferrets bite your finger off?

Ferrets show their love by biting you. Or if it wants to play with you or sometimes accidentally, it can bite you. So, biting comes naturally to a ferret. Wild ferrets can bite your finger off with two or three tries.