| Ferret
facts and figures | Photo by John Allan |
| Adult Dimensions | 14″ – 24″ ( 35 –
60cm ) including tail. Male can be twice as large as female. |
Adult
Weight
| 1 – 5.5 lbs (
400g – 2.5kg ) Varies considerably according to time of year.
Usually much lighter during Summer ( Up to 40% ) |
| Average Life Span | 5 – 6 years in laboratory.
Up to 10 years as pets. ( Older have been known and 14 years
recorded ) |
| Chromosome Count | 40 ( Twenty pairs ) |
| Respiratory Rate | 30 – 40 per minute. |
| Heart Rate | 220-250 beats per minute. |
Rectal Temp.
| Average 38.8C
( 101.8F ) Range 37.8 – 40C ( 100 – 104F ) |
| Teeth | Incisors 3/3, canines 1/1,
premolars 3/3, molars 1/2. Super nummary incisors common. |
| Toes | 5 on each foot. |
| Nipples | 8 ( Male and female ) |
| Vertebrae | Cervical 7, Thoracic 14, Lumbar
6, Sacral 3, Col 14 – 18, and 14 pairs of ribs. |
| Other Anatomy | No caecum, appendix and male
prostate gland. Sweat glands not well developed. |
| Environment | Optimum 15 – 20C ( 60 – 70F
max.) Heat prostration likely at 32C, 90F. |
| Sexing | Ano-genital distance of male
at least twice that of female. |
| Puberty | 240 – 250 days. |
| Sexual Maturity | 9-12 months, or the spring
following birth. |
| Age to Breed | Male 365 days, female 275
days. |
| Breeding Season | Photo periodically triggered
requiring longer days than nights – possibly 16 hours daylight.
Main breeding season March – September in Britain. Male testes
begin to descend December/January and regress by July, female
in oestrus any time from March to October. |
Signs of Oestrus
| Vulva swells and becomes extended
with secretion in female. In the male testes descend into
scrotum. |
| Duration of Oestrus | Continuous until mated or
until end of season and very prolonged if unmated leading
to oestrogen – induced anaemia. Ovulation induced by male
stimulus ( behaviour and coitus ) |
Duration
of Mating | 10
minutes to several hours – probably 1 hour on average. |
| Ovulation | 30 hours after mating. |
| Reduction of Vulva | 7 – 10 days, complete within
2 – 3 weeks of mating. |
| Palpation | 10 days after vulva reduced. |
| Gestation | Average 42 days. ( Range 38
– 44 days ) at 45 days kits die. |
| Litters per Year | Two possible ( up to 5 under
controlled photoperiod ) |
| Nesting | Starts building 10 – 12 days
before birth. |
| Other Birth Signs | Mammary glands. |
| Post-natal Oestrus | 1 – 2 weeks after weaning. |
| Litter Size | 2 – 17 ( average 8, normal
6 – 9 ) – more in first litter of season than in second. |
| Birth weight | 0.5oz ( 5 – 15g ) |
| Deciduous Teeth | Begin to erupt at 10 – 14
days. |
| Canines | 47 – 52 days. |
| Eyes/Ears open | 21 – 37 days. |
| Fur | Almost naked at birth, some
by 9 days, good coat by 4 – 5 weeks. |
| Out of Nest | First ventures usually 3 –
4 weeks. |
| Weaning Age | 6 – 8 weeks. |
| Weaning Weight | 10.5 – 17.5 oz ( 300 – 500g
) |
Minimum Buying/Selling
Age | Ten weeks ( Twelve better
) |
| Attain Adult Weight | 4 months. |
| 1st Possible Mating | 6 months. |
| 1st Normal Mating | 12 months. |
