Range:  Domestic species, wild ferrets live in both North America and Europe

Natural Diet:   Rodents and other small animals, strictly carnivores.

Diet at Rain Forest: Prepared ferret diet.

Keepers Notes:  How we came to be so closely linked to this animal is a little uncertain, but we do know that for at least 3,000 years we have had this wonderful little animal as a companion.  Initially, like many of the animals people domesticated, the ferret was used to assist man in his daily struggle for survival. 

They are still used for hunting rabbits in some parts of the world today, but increasingly they are being kept simply as pets.

Being so closely related to polecats, ferrets are quite easily able to hybridize with them, and this has occasionally resulted in feral colonies of ferret-polecat hybrids that have been perceived to have caused damage to native fauna, perhaps most notably in New Zealand. As a result, some parts of the world have imposed restrictions on the keeping of ferrets.

Size: .  1-2 pounds, approximately the size of a small rabbit.  Males and females are generally the same size with males being slightly larger. 

Status in Wild: The North American black footed ferret is making a very nice come back after facing near extinction due to the loss of it's primary food item, the prairie dog.

The domesticated pet ferret is doing extremely well in many homes world wide.