Black Footed Ferret babies

[BarbaraRose]

Black Footed Ferrets are an endangered species and are being bred, raised and released by the Phoenix Zoo. They only live in prairie dog colonies since that is their main diet so they get released in protected prairie dog habitat in the south west and northwest areas of the US. They are a very distant cousin to my domesticated ferret (which is actually a descendant of the European Polecat and not native to this country at all).

Here is a live video cam on 4 next boxes from the Phoenix Zoo. The two top ferrets are pregnant and will soon give birth. The bottom left has two newborns, and the bottom right has 6 newborns.

http://www.camzone.com/phx-ferret

[dayspring39]

The cam can be addicting! I remember when Soos posted the bear cam... it was very interesting...
Thanks Barbie for posting this
Me and My Shadow

[bluepinecones]

Thanks, Barbie

[SoCalGalcas]

Very interesting Barbie. Hope you are feeling better. Ferrets are not allowed in SD. Something about being a wild animal. Or, if they escape they eat the avocados. lyn

[avalen]

thanks Barbie, they released some of them in Colorado and Wyoming and tracked them for their survival. Sadly, some did not make it but I think I remember reading something about wild born babies in that group. Its certainly hopeful anyway. This was
years ago back in the days when I lived in Colorado.

[BarbaraRose]

Lynn, yes, they are illegal in the whole state of California. Would love to see a ferret try to get at avocados! (they can't climb trees). Probably just play with the ones on the ground and try to stash them somewhere. They are strict carnivores so would not eat them anyways.

Ava, there is a virus that they get from the prairie dogs that kills them. They are trying to catch and vaccinate as many ferrets as they can so they don't lose so many in the future.

[MandysMom]

There is an ongoing effort to legalize in CA. But what would they eat? Might upset the ecosystem here. Sorry but I don't like them. Son in MN had one and just one visit made up my mind.

[BarbaraRose]

Everyone who meets my ferrets immediately falls in love with them! Mine are always sweet and friendly.

There is a lot of misinformation out there about ferrets, unfortunately. They also are not the right pet for a lot of people. I try to talk anyone out of getting one if they say they want one, just because most people have no idea how high-maintenance they are, so many ferrets end up in overcrowded shelters. People just don't do their homework before getting ferrets (or other pets, for that matter). I didn't know anything about them either when I got my first one 20 years ago, but there wasn't much written about them back then, so I had to wing it and learn as I went along. There is a ton of info out there now in books and on the internet.

99.9% of all ferrets leaving a breeder are spayed and neutered, so even if they got loose, they would not be able to breed if they happened upon other stray ferrets. The average lifespan of a ferret on the loose is about 4 or 5 days. They have poor eyesight and no fear of anything, so get picked off by other animals or get hit by cars. They get imprinted as babies on dry kibble and would be unlikely to know to kill rodents in order to survive (mine have always turned their noses up at any kind of raw or cooked meat). Any lucky stray ferrets who have been found, have been very thin, showing they did not find their own food to eat while out loose. There are no known stray ferret colonies anywhere in other ferret-friendly states, so would not be a threat to native wildlife in California.

OK, off my soapbox!

I know the people who are trying to legalize ferrets in California and are not having much luck. I also know that California has much bigger issues to deal with than legalizing ferrets, so it won't happen anytime soon, altho there are a lot of ferrets out there being kept quietly behind closed doors.

[JudyJB]

Mother in upper left box now has what looks like two kits! She is doing a lot of licking so might be in process of having more.

[BarbaraRose]

I see two also. It always makes me nervous to watch when mom seems to lay on top of the babies but they seem to be OK when she eventually moves off them. First time moms aren't always very careful.

The mom in the lower right sure has her paws full!! When all those kits get even bigger and their eyes open, she will really be busy keeping them under control!

[grammaann]

I guess Ferrets are legal here in Texas. My younger son and his wife have had ferrets for many years now (none currently), and have been listed as emergency caregivers for when needed. Usually when ferrets were found after owners just threw them away. Yes they are very high maintenance. Kind of fun to watch, but I'd not want to have one. My old dog is all I can care for at this time. When he heads for the "Rainbow Bridge" I'll not be having another. I'll just enjoy the grand dogs.

[BarbaraRose]

California and Hawaii are the only two states that don't allow ferrets. There are also a few cities that ban them, like New York City. Just old laws that have never been changed. NYC is working on legalizing ferrets now tho.