A small domesticated member of the weasel family, most likely bred from the European polecat about 2,500 years ago. It was first kept for hunting rabbits and is now a popular pet, with over five million in the US.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?Yes
Awake when?Night
Ferrets sleep 14–18 hours a day and are most active at dawn and dusk.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Commonly
An increasingly popular house pet: there are over five million in the United States alone.
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inEurope, Worldwide
HabitatFarmland, Towns
ColoursCream, Brown, Black
SizeSmall
LengthAbout 50 cm including the tail
Weight0.7–2 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives ingroups
Lives for6–10 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Domestic worldwide; feral polecat–ferret hybrids live wild in New Zealand, where they harm native wildlife.
Did you know
Domesticated over 2,000 years ago to flush rabbits from burrows.
Keeping a ferret is restricted in some places, including New Zealand.
Often confused with
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