Steppe ferret: photo and description, behavior, reproduction. Why the steppe ferret is listed in the Red Book?

Who is a steppe ferret? The photo of this funny fur-bearing animal can melt the most heartless heart. There are many myths about ferrets - they say, they are cruel robbers of chicken coops. But small predators are also bred in captivity - and not only in fur farms for the sake of fur. They occupied the same place as dogs and cats. People are increasingly breeding them as playful and affectionate pets. And in Medieval Europe ferrets played the role of small cats then. They fished the mice in the barns, they created coziness. It is called such a domesticated ferret freck, or furo. Scientists believe that this is a special albino subspecies of a wild animal. By the way, in the famous painting by Leonardo Da Vinci "The Lady with Ermine" a beautiful young woman holds a frette in her arms. But in this article, it will not be so much about the domestic ferret as about its wild relatives living in the forest and steppe.

A large family of cunies

The scientific classification of the steppe ferret is called Mustela eversmanni. He belongs to the family of cunies. That is, the distant relatives of the animal are ermines, mink, solongoi, columns and, in fact, martens. This small predatory mammal belongs to the genus of weasels and trochees. In the second word of the scientific name of the beast - eversmanni - a tribute was paid to the Russian zoologist E. A. Eversman (1794-1860), who described this species. The nearest relatives of the dweller of the steppes are the forest (Mustela putorius) and the black-footed (Mustela nigripes) chori, and also the fretka (Mustela putorius furo). They can mate among themselves and give viable offspring. Many hybrids were brought out by man: for example, a chinoric obtained from an alliance with a mink. Although all ferrets have different habitats, they quickly adapt to new conditions. Thus, forest ferrets were brought to New Zealand to fight a growing population of rats. As a result, adapted small predators now threaten the indigenous fauna of the island.

The habitat of ferrets

All three species are common in Eurasia, North America and North-West Africa, where scientists are believed to have been domesticated by furo. In Russia, there are forest (dark) and steppe (light) choruses. Although color is not the main feature of the species. Among ferrets are often cases of albinism, they can also be dark or ermine suits. For all species is characterized by a kind of "mask" on the face. Steppe ferret lives in open spaces in China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Central Asia, in Southern Siberia, Eastern and Central Europe. He avoids forests, mountains, settlements. Prefers flat steppes, semideserts, beams. His forest fellow, on the contrary, is found in groves and forests. The area of the black-footed ferret is the forests of North America. Domesticated about two thousand years ago in Africa or on the Iberian peninsula, the furo has a non-aggressive affectionate character and can not feed itself in the wild.

Ferret steppe: description of species

This is the largest beast of all the animals of the genus. The body length of an adult male reaches 56 centimeters, and the mass of two kilograms. In this case, the animal is quite impressive (up to 18 cm) tail, which, in case of danger, it fluffs. The coat hair is tall, but rare. Due to this feature, a light and dense undercurrent is visible. The dark "mask" around the eyes is typical for all kinds of Mustela, but in the steppe ferret it is more pronounced, because it is worn on the white head. The paws, as well as the tail (or its tip) are dark. Moves the animal jumps. Steppe ferret, photo of which is a "visiting card" for other species due to the "Zorro mask", hunts gophers, hamsters, food, other rodent mice. It does not disdain the large locust. Disrupts the nests of land birds. In its diet includes also frogs, lizards, less often - snakes. Individuals living near the banks of rivers and lakes, demonstrate an excellent ability to swim. Then their food becomes and water vole.

Number of species on the territory of Russia

In the steppes and forest-steppes of the European part of the Russian Federation, the western subspecies of the light ferret are common. In the south of Siberia, on the Zeysko-Bureinsky plain and in the Amur region, a very valuable biotype is found. The population of this bright polecat has shrunk to an alarming size in the fifties of the last century. Basically - because of uncontrolled fur production and reduction of natural habitats. On the one hand, the decrease in the area of forests in the Amur-Zey interfluve has expanded the area of the steppe ferret, but on the other hand, the development of these lands for farmland puts the survival of the subspecies in jeopardy. Already in the sixties this animal became very rare prey of hunters. In the 70's he was met not every year and only near the Amur River. Thus, it can be concluded that the territory of the Russian Federation includes individuals from the right bank (China). Despite the fact that now the Amur steppe ferret in the Red Book of Russia, its numbers are steadily declining.

The habits of the steppe ferret

Mainly the animal leads a single way of life. Sometimes, with an increase in the population in a limited area, it may form clusters. Then in the group of animals the behavioral process of aligning the schooling hierarchy, submission and domination is launched. Steppen ferrets are often credited with "crimes" committed by foxes, weasels and martens. In fact, it is a useful beast, as it exterminates, or rather controls the number of rodents. The long and thin body of a light chorus helps him to penetrate his prey into burrows. Sometimes he uses them for his own habitation. Although nature has provided the steppe groin with muscular paws with strong claws, it burrows rarely. Sometimes a small animal digs in food for future use, for a hungry time, but often forgets about such "zanachki". The natural enemies of steppe ferrets are predatory birds and foxes. In case of danger, the animal uses the smelly and caustic secret of the anal glands, which fires at the enemy.

Reproduction

In the regions of common habitat, steppe and forest ferrets are often interbreeding. Therefore, in the populations there are also black (dark) animals. Although the number of chromosomes in the two species is different: thirty-eight in the steppe dweller, forty in the forest dwellers. Steppe ferret outside the breeding season is kept apart, but its territory is not pointed and not guarded. If two same-sex individuals are found, they do not reveal aggression to each other. But the males fight for the female, ruthlessly biting and loudly squealing. Ladies seem to be slightly smaller than gentlemen, but by weight it is easier to almost half of them: two kilograms against 1,200. Females for delivery expand and equip other people's holes, lining them with hay, feathers, down. Less often they dig their homes themselves. May choose for the burrow a stack or a low-lying hollow tree. Father takes part in growing offspring. If the young for any reason die, the female again is able to interbreed after seven to twenty days. Although usually the mating season comes in the end of winter.

Reproduction

One and a half month after crossing, the female gives birth to four to ten (rarely fifteen) naked, blind and absolutely helpless puppies. The eyes of the young open only a month later. Steppe ferret is a very caring parent. The female does not leave the babies until they grow fur. Father brings his girlfriend food. The female feeds the cubs with milk for about three months. But even earlier, at the age of eight weeks, the young are already learning to get food. When the lactation period is over, the cubs diverge in search of their territory. Sexual maturation occurs at the end of the first year of life. In females, pregnancy can occur two to three times a year.

Lifespan

Alas, but the ferret in nature, regardless of the species, lives on average three to four years. High mortality in childhood (sometimes dying all litter), many natural enemies, narrowing habitats due to deforestation or plowing of steppes and meadows, reduce the number of populations. In addition, ferrets are prone to epidemic diseases. They die from plague, rabies, Scriabinhise. In captivity, with a balanced diet and the necessary veterinary care, the coins survive to eight, less than ten years.

Forest ferret

This animal has a darker fur than its steppe brother. As already noted, the number of chromosomes in close species is different, which does not prevent them from creating hybrids between themselves, as well as with a burrow and a column. Externally, the forest ferret also has, albeit minor, but differences. It is smaller and more graceful. The length of the male body is up to fifty cm, the tail is seventeen cm, and the mass is only one and a half kilograms. His skull is not as heavy as the steppe chorus, and behind the orbits is not so sharply compressed. His ears are round, small. The forest ferret inhabits mainly Europe. In Russia it occurs up to the Urals. Inhabits, as the name suggests, in the forests and even small groves. The fur color of this animal is dark brown, but the tail, paws, throat and chest are almost black. The diet of steppe and forest ferrets is similar - mouse-like rodents, toads, frogs, eggs and young birds. Can be eaten by a predator and bunnies. The forestry choir also does not like burrowing holes, preferring to take strangers.

Black-footed ferret

This is the smallest species of the Mustela family. It is common in North America - in Canada and the United States. The length of the animal's body is only forty-five centimeters, and its weight is just over a kilogram. The fur of the blackhorn ferret is very beautiful: at the base it is white, and at the tips of the hair cover it gradually darkens. This color gives a general yellowish color to the fur animal. Because of the fur, the black-footed polecat was among the endangered species. Fortunately, people stopped in time from the extermination of this fur-bearing animal. American hore is included in the Red Book of the USA. But until 1996, individuals of this species lived only in captivity. Now they began to be released into the natural habitat. At the moment there are about six hundred of them. The American black-footed ferret feeds mainly on ground squirrels, shamelessly occupying their burrows. To survive, the black-footed ferret family needs to eat two hundred and fifty rodents a year, so they live near the accumulation of their game.

Fretka, or furo

It is well known that the Mustela putorius furo was derived from the dark forest chore. They have the same number of chromosomes, they give a completely healthy and capable of continuing descent. But for the domestication, they often took albino individuals. Therefore, the furo was fixed and another name - a white ferret. Not everyone liked red eyes and poor health of albinos. To strengthen it, the frets were sometimes crossed with wild forest relatives, so the fur color of domestic animals may be different: sable, pearl, pale, golden. In terms of intelligence, they are close to cats. But they not only respond to the nickname, but also are able to walk on a leash, and also perform different commands, like dogs. The young frets are very playful and mobile. Zverek is attached to the owner, trusting in other people.

Care of frets

Breeders often assure a potential buyer of a furo that care of animals is minimal, because ferrets are omnivorous. This is not quite true. The fact is that ferrets, including fritters, are obligate predators. This means that their food can be animals, comparable to them in size. In the wild, ferrets do not eat beef and pork. But this does not mean at all that the owner of the freighter must catch gophers to feed his pet. Homemade ferrets are good for poultry and rabbit meat. From time to time, they can be given veal, lamb and offal. With fish you need to be more careful. Frets can only flounder, horse mackerel, haddock, mackerel, cod and trout. The owner of a furo (especially an albino) should pay attention to the health of his pet. In addition to rabies and plague, there are also specific diseases of ferrets. This is viral plasmacytosis (Aleutian disease), insulinoma and hyperestrogenism. Ferrets are also infected with human flu.