Steppe, light or white ferret (ferret) [1] ( lat. Mustela eversmanni ) is a species of nocturnal mammals from the genus of weasels and ferrets of the henie family. The Latin specific epithet is given in honor of the Russian zoologist E. A. Eversman (1794–1860).
| Steppe ferret |
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| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetric |
| Nadotryad : | Laurasiotherium |
| Subfamily : | Actually kunyas |
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| International Scientific Name |
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Mustela eversmanni Lesson , 1827 |
| Area |
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| Security status |
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Least concernIUCN 3.1 Least Concern : 29679 |
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Content
Appearance of ferrets in general is typical for small guns. Body length 51–56 cm, tail — up to 18 cm, body weight up to 2 kg. It is the largest of the ferrets . They are distinguished by high, but rare hairs, due to which thick bright underfur is clearly visible through the hair. Also characteristic is the dark color of the paws, tail (or its end), a peculiar coloring of the face, resembling a mask. Moves by jumping, can swim.
The kinship between the Eurasian species of ferrets is so great that they freely interbreed, as a result of which, in areas of common habitat, animals that are often similar to black , and especially to the steppe polecat, are often found. The steppe polecat in the west occurs from Yugoslavia and the Czech Republic , and further to the east along forest-steppe, steppes and semi-deserts of Russia from Transbaikalia to the Middle Amur , as well as in Central and Central Asia to the Far East and East China . Avoids forests and settlements. In Europe, it is found at an altitude of 800 meters, in Central Asia - up to 2600.
According to Mitchell-Jones, in Europe, this species is represented by two main populations, divided by the Carpathian Mountains. The western population (subspecies Mustela eversmanni hungarica ) is located in the Czech Republic, eastern Austria, southern Slovakia, Ukraine south of the Carpathians, Hungary, Yugoslavia, northern and western Romania. The eastern population (nominative subspecies) includes northern Bulgaria, southern Romania, Moldova, Ukraine east and north of the Carpathians, south-eastern Poland, southern European Russia, and Kazakhstan in its range.
Obligatory predator. Vegetable feed in the diet are missing. The steppe ferret hunts for gophers , hamsters , pikas , rodents , less often for birds , snakes and frogs , in summertime and for invertebrates .
Ferrets living near rivers and lakes also hunt water voles . In some cases, ferrets cause some harm to domestic poultry farming, but ideas about this are usually highly exaggerated, and ferrets are often charged with crimes that are not committed; martens , weasels and foxes are the perpetrators. Outside of settlements, ferrets are certainly useful for the extermination of small and medium-sized rodents.
