From:
Vicki Montgomery
Date: 2007-12-17 18:57:48 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Question on timing of light cycle
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
I do know that ferrets are crepuscular and that that means they are dusk and dawn hunters/prowlers..
And being a spelunker years ago I also have (I hope) a fairly good idea of the darkness level below ground.
It is good to know that a vet in another country keeps her ferrets in little light and that they live long healthy lives. I wish she would post info here. The stats, comparative study... professional best guess...
I am also now wondering where do these burrow-dwellers get their vit D (for ferrets are by far not the only burrow-dwellers or non-diural animals - so do these others, burrow-dwellers or non-diural animals, have a vit D need and if so how is that need satisfied?) or do they NOT need it (Vit D) at all (including highly reduced need)?...
and while I'm sure they have proportionately different nutritional needs, do they also have further (reduced) Vit D needs due to life-style (burrow-dwelling and crepusculating (yes I know that's a Vicki word and not a real one))
or do they get all they need some other way (from the bones of their prey) or does anyone know - do they or don't they have a need of Vit D? other vits and mins...?
Hmmm BOB.. do you know?
Also I'm wondering what this other nation's vet feeds her ferrets... there is a lot to be said of diet and longevity - a coorelation between the two is long since proven.
I advise all of my adopters to try to ensure a minimum of 14+ hours of darkness to their ferrets... but I'm not convinced (Ok I make a grrrrreat devil's advocate).. that very little to no sunshine is best for ferrets...
again devil's advocate... if ferrets have been domesticated for over 2500 years... and if it's reasonable to assume that there was a period of "taming the wild beast' before they could be considered changed and domesticated ... then how do we know that living with "man", in a lighted world, hasn't changed their physical needs?
The fact that someone does it (keeps their ferrets in almost no light - ever) doesn't make it right (and my musing doesn't make it wrong) ... we have our own people here in the US doing just that... making their ferrets live in a light-deprived world...
I'm too nosey for my own good I suppose, but I want to know statistics of the event. Where's the proof - not speculation.. I can speculate as well as the next guy.
hmmmm
Vicki
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:ferrethealth-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:ferrethealth-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ferrethealth-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/