FAQ

Domestic ferrets are small, furry mammals whose average size ranges from 1 to 5 pounds at maturity. Scientists give animals classifications to make it easier to study them. The ferret is the domesticated member of the Order Carnivora, Family Mustelidae and Genus Mustela. This means that ferrets are meat-eaters and one of the members of the weasel family. A common misconception is that ferrets are rodents. This is absolutely not the case, as rodents are a completely different scientific order. Scientific classifications then break down animals into specific species. The domestic ferret is species putorius, the same as the European polecat, and many people consider the domestic ferret to be the sub-species furo which differentiates the domestic ferret from the European polecat. The ferret is therefore commonly written as Mustela putorius or Mustela putorius furo in scientific binomial nomenclature.