Ferret

A domestic ferret.

Several ferrets with different colors.

Ferrets at play

A ferret, the domestic ferret (Mustela putorius furo), is a small animal from the Mustelidae family. Several other Mustelids have the word "ferret" in their name, but they are not the same.

Characteristics

It looks like a weasel or a rat, with a long thin body. Ferrets can have a lot of different colours and markings on their fur. A lot of ferrets in one place will sometimes have a strange scent. This is because of natural oils produced by the ferrets.

Ferrets and humans

Domesticated ferrets are used for hunting, or can be kept as pets. Hunting with ferrets is called ferreting. Because of their thin body, they can go down into holes and hunt rodents and rabbits.

Look up Mustela putorius furo in Wikispecies, a directory of species