Black forest ferret

A resident of the Eurasian territory, a forest ferret, is also known as black or dark due to its dark coloration. The common ferret crosses freely in the wild, giving a diverse color palette.

Content
  1. General description
  2. Habitat
  3. Habitats <
  4. Food and breeding

Лесной хорек

Forest ferret

General description

The widespread in the wild forest ferret has domesticated species:

  • the home type ferret, or furo, is a pet of black, brown , white or mixed color,
  • albino ferret is an animal with pure white fur color.

Wild black forest polecat It’s like a furry animal with valuable fur, but its small number prohibits hunting for it. Residents of the countryside do not like forest predators because of their hunting instincts, which often lead wild animals into houses, however, small in size, it acts as a rodent exterminator which brings irreplaceable benefits.

The Black Forest Ferret is under protection in many countries of the world and is listed in the Red Book.

The external description of the wild forest ferret has practically no differences with a description of most odichey of detachment martens, traces of which are similar. As a rule, these are short-footed squat animals with sharp and long claws. Their body is elongated 0.36-0.48 m long, ends with a long tail, up to 17 cm.The weight of the average forest ferret is in the range from 0.4 to 038 kg, while the mass of the females is approximately 1.5 times less than the males, their tail is also noticeably shorter: up to 15 cm in length.

The adult forest ferret in the photo can be recognized by its characteristic color: black abdomen, paws, thoracic region, neck and tail, without sharp contrast, which distinguishes it from the steppe species. In some variations, red individuals or pure whites are found.

A distinctive feature of not only forest, but also other trochees is their facial mask: a specific contrasting ornament.

Located under the tail the ducts of the anal glands produce a pungent secret that serves as a means of scaring away ill-wishers for the forest ferret.

Habitat

The forest ferret area covers the entire territory of the Eurasian continent. The common species of the polecat can be found in all regions of Western Europe, regardless of the fact that the geographical area of ​​its habitat is noticeably reduced. A large population of forest ferrets is found on the territory of England and practically throughout the entire European area of ​​Russia, with the exception of the Lower Volga region and the Caucasus regions, as well as bypassing North Karelia.

Over the past few decades, the range of the forest ferret moved towards the Finnish borders.There are several representatives of black ferrets in forests in the northwest of the African continent.

Some time ago, a forest ferret was transported to spread to the territory of New Zealand. The main purpose for growing these animals at a new habitat was the fight against rodents: mice and rats. However, easily adapted and adapted to new conditions, forest ferrets began to pose a threat to the New Zealand indigenous fauna.

Habits

By nature, forest ferrets are quite aggressive animals that can withstand large the size of the beasts. The animal goes hunting when it gets dark, during the day he sleeps in shelters, of which he rarely comes out during daylight hours. He catches his prey on the run or guards near the minks.

Due to the desire to hunt on the forest edges, the forest ferret received the nickname of the forest predator.

The forest ferret is referred to settled wild animals tied to a specific place of residence. As a habitat, the animal prefers small-sized shelter shelters in the form of fallen trees, rotten stumps, haystacks. In some cases, the forest ferret occupies other people’s holes – the former houses of badgers and foxes. In the conditions of the village and the village, the animals settle in sheds and cellars, sometimes they build shelters for themselves under bath roofs.

The forest ferret almost never pulls its own minks.

For the place of residence, ferrets choose small forests and groves mixed with meadow clearings. Avoiding forest ferrets to settle in the taiga. Often the ferrets are found not far from the rivers and nearby with other reservoirs. This animal can swim, however, it does not differ in advanced skills, unlike its European mink.

Nature Video: Ferret
Forest ferret in home x conditions in the cell
Funny Forest Ferret

Nutrition and breeding

Maturation of the forest ferret occurs at the age of 1. When spring comes, from April to May, the animal begins to run. In some cases, it drags on until the second half of June, the duration of the pregnancy of a female forest ferret is 1.5 months. One offspring brings from 4 to 6 cubs. The natural instinct makes the trochees protect the emerging offspring before any danger.

Little ferrets begin to eat basic adult meat food at the end of the mother’s lactation period. Many of them clearly have a so-called juvenile mane on their nape: longer hairs compared to the rest of the fur. New offspring live close to their mother until the fall season, in some cases even until spring .

In nature, hybrids of a forest ferret with a mink, called honoriki, often appear.

Black forest choirs belong to mice-eaters. The main part of their diet consists of small rodents such as field voles. In the summer months, the animal can catch frogs and small-sized water rats, sometimes hunting snakes and even small birds. Also, large insects of the locust type often act as food.

When living near a person, a forest polecat often preys on poultry and rabbits.

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Anna Evans

Author ✓ Farmer

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