Ferrets are small mammals from the Mustelidae family that people have domesticated since 2,500 years ago.
Historically, people domesticated ferrets for hunting, as the small animals can get down to burrows to chase rabbits out.
But can you find other animals similar to ferrets in terms of physical characteristics and behavior?
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And in this article, we’ll explore these animals that, in one way or another, share similarities with ferrets.
You’ll also learn to differentiate these animals from ferrets and know if you can keep them as pets.
Read: Animals Similar to Raccoons
Learning a few things about ferrets goes a long way in pointing out the similarities (and differences) they share with other animals.
Ferrets have long, slender bodies and furry tails.
They’ve various colorations, including black, brown, white, or a blend of these colors, with white patches on the toes and throats.
They’ve cone-shaped noses, short limbs, and long claws.
Ferrets live in social groups and like making burrows.
As domesticated animals, ferrets happily coexist with humans at home, except the
endangered black-footed ferret that lives in the wild.
Ferrets are carnivores that munch on small animals since their time in the wild.
Some owners, however, try to give the pets a natural diet by providing pre-killed meat, including mice.
17 Types of Animals Similar To Ferrets
The European polecat is a mustelid native to North Africa and western Eurasia.
European polecats are the most similar animals to ferrets.
From body shapes and sizes, from short legs to long claws, these polecats resemble ferrets such that many people often confuse the two relatives.
What’s more, the two animals share a lot in genetics, leading to many people crossbreeding the two to get offspring, called hybrids.
Prime differences between European polecats and ferrets
Polecats have larger heads than their counterparts European polecats have dark noses, while the color is only limited to the face in ferrets
Can you domesticate European polecats?
No, it’s illegal to keep polecats as pets.
Weasels are small, vicious predators, famously known for killing as huge prey as deer.
Although weasels are shorter than ferrets, they share several physical characteristics, including long slender bodies, long tails, and short legs.
Furthermore, weasels are mustelids and carnivorous animals that exhibit a polygamous lifestyle, like their cousins.
Prime differences between weasels and ferrets
Weasels are shorter than ferrets, usually 40 centimetersWeasels have typical red-brown coats with white bellies, while ferrets are black, brown, or a mixture of the colors
Can you domesticate weasels?
It’s not only impossible but also illegal to domesticate weasels.
3. Black-footed ferrets
The endangered black-footed ferrets are small predators that live in central North America.
Because the black-footed ferret shares a name with the ferrets, you’d think the animal also displays several gene similarities with its counterpart, like the European polecat.
But the lack of similar genes doesn’t stop the two animals from resembling each other.
In terms of body shape, the two animals look like each other.
In fact, you can mistake a black-footed ferret for a typical ferret because of its coloration.
Prime difference between black-footed ferrets and ferrets
Black-footed ferrets are only found in the wild
Can you domesticate black-footed ferrets?
The animals live in the wild, and you’re not allowed to domesticate them.
Read: Animals Similar to Beavers
The largest of all land-dwelling mustelids, wolverines are scavengers and voracious hunters, known for a badass reputation of going after as big animals as the moose.
Although wolverines look more like small bears than ferrets, the animals have several similarities.
First, they share the same family and have similar short legs and round heads.
Secondly, wolverines are polygamous and produce a musky odor to resemble ferrets in terms of behavior.
Prime differences between wolverines and ferrets
Can you domesticate the wolverines?
There are two species of minks, the American mink and the European mink, named after their native regions, although you can find American mink in Europe, where it has fled the exploitative fur farms.
Although all minks are slightly larger than ferrets, usually around 55 centimeters, the animals are similar in several respects.
Minks are mustelids with body shapes mimicking those of their distant cousins.
Prime differences between minks and ferrets
Most minks have dark-colored fur, although you can still brown individuals.Minks are bigger than ferrets
Can you domesticate minks?
Minks are domesticated, not as pets, but for their valuable fur.
Martens are weasel-like mammals that inhabit various parts of the world, including North America, Asia, and Europe.
Martens are mustelids and are roughly the same size as ferrets.
They also have the body types of ferrets, including long furry tails, round heads, and short legs.
And like wild ancestors of ferrets, martens are solitary creatures.
Main differences between martens and ferrets
Martens can partially retract their claws, while this ability is only an imagination in ferrets Although minks are carnivores, they won’t say no to fruits
Can you domesticate martens?
While they make poor pets, it’s illegal to own martens.
Also called ermines, stoats are aggressive mustelids native to Eurasia and some parts of North America.
Stoats share several physical characteristics with ferrets, including slender bodies, short legs, long tails, and non-retractable claws.
Stoats also belong to the same family as ferrets, and behavioral similarities include being carnivorous and polygamous, like their cousins.
Prime difference between stoats and ferrets
The coat color of stoats changes to white, apart from the eyes and tail tip as autumn approaches
Can you domesticate stoats?
Due to their aggressive behavior, the cute animals are not appropriate as pets.
The eight subspecies of badgers are similar to ferrets in two main ways.
First, badgers are mustelids that produce a smelly substance from their anal glands, like ferrets.
Secondly, male badgers have multiple partners, like their polygamous cousins.
Physical similarities include short legs and ears.
Prime differences between badgers and ferrets
Badgers are significantly larger than ferretsThey also have a characteristic black and white striped face mask
Can you domesticate badgers?
Skunks are small, docile mammals from the Mephitidae family.
Belonging to different families doesn’t stop skunks from having similarities with ferrets.
Like their counterparts, the skunks have slender bodies, short legs, and long claws.
Also, skunks produce a powerful, foul-smelling substance from their anal scent glands, which is one of the reasons why they’re known.
Prime difference between skunks and ferrets
Most skunks are black and white, although a few individuals are brown or gray
Can you domesticate skunks?
If they’re permitted in your region, you can domesticate them.
Meerkats are small, cute, adorable mammals that inhabit the arid deserts of southern Africa.
Although meerkats belong to the mongoose family, they share several characteristics with ferrets.
The mongooses have slender bodies, tiny legs with long claws, and are roughly the same size as the ferrets.
Prime differences between meerkats and ferrets
Can you domesticate meerkats?
While you can keep meerkats as pets, they’re hard to raise due to their complex needs.
Tayras are weasel-like mammals native to subtropical and tropical forests of South America except for Paraguay.
Tayras belong to the Mustelidae family and thus have several ferret-like features, including long slender bodies and round ears.
And like wild ancestors of ferrets, tayras live in burrows they’ve put no effort into building.
Prime differences between tayras and ferrets
Tayras are significantly larger than ferrets, usually about 90 centimeters longThey have short, curved claws
Can you domesticate tayras?
Although playful like ferrets, tayras make poor pets because of their restless behavior.
Fishers are small, pretty aggressive mustelids native to North America.
The carnivorous animals are nothing but huge, wild ferrets with brown coats, fluff tails, long and slender bodies, and small rounded ears.
Prime difference between fishers and ferrets
Fishers are gigantic compared to ferrets, usually 83 centimeters
Can you domesticate fishers?
Civets are elusive, mysterious mammals native to the tropical forests of Africa and Asia.
Civets belong to the mongoose family, but some ferrets-like features, including elongated bodies, small rounded ears, and furry tails, are not elusive to point out.
Also, the civets, like ferrets, have anal glands that produce a stink-smelling substance.
Prime difference between civets and ferrets
Civets are significantly larger than ferrets, and their coat color is black with white or yellow markings
Can you domesticate civets?
A mongoose is a small terrestrial mammal from the Herpestidae family.
While the mongoose and ferrets belong to different families, the two animals are similar in terms of appearance.
You can easily confuse a mongoose with some ferrets, thanks to their body color, petite legs, and small rounded ears.
Also, some mongooses are the same as many ferrets.
Prime difference between mongoose and ferrets
The mongooses are stocky-bodied
Can you domesticate a mongoose?
Polecat-Ferrets
Because of that, the hybrids are similar to the original ferrets in many aspects, especially body shapes, from little legs to rounded ears and heads to coat fur color.
Prime differences between Polecat-Ferrets and ferrets
It’s hard to distinguish the two animals in terms of physical characteristics.
Can you domesticate Polecat-Ferrets?
Yes, but as mentioned, the hybrids can be a nuisance, especially if they’re more polecats.
Otters are small mustelids classified according to their habitats.
They can be semi-aquatic, aquatic, or marine.
All species of otters are related to the ferrets and thus have several characteristics, including long slender bodies, small rounded ears, and short limbs.
And, like most mustelids, otters are carnivores.
Prime difference between otters and ferrets
Can you domesticate otters?
Greater grisons are small mustelids native only to the Americas.
The small mammals are related to the ferrets and thus share several of the same physical characteristics, including long slender bodies, short legs, and small rounded ears.
Physical features aside, the grisons are carnivores and have powerful odor scent glands, like the ferrets.
Prime difference between grisons and ferrets
Can you domesticate grisons?
Grisons make affectionate pets if domesticated at a young age.
READ: 13 Different Big-lipped Animals (With Pictures)
What are some ferret-looking animals?Are there animals similar to ferrets?Ferrets are very specific-looking creatures when it comes to the pet world.
But, there are ferret-like wild animals out there and today we will share information about them.
So, let see what all ferret-looking animals have in common and what are some of the most famous ones!TABLE OF CONTENTS Mustelids – Animals Similar To FerretsWild Animals That Look Like FerretsEuropean PolecatsBlack-footed FerretsWeaselsMartensMinksWolverinesOttersConclusionMustelids – Animals Similar To FerretsMost animals that look like ferrets belong to the Mustelidae family.
There are around 60 species that belong to the Mustelidae family tree.
We won’t name and describe all of them, we will focus only on the most common and most familiar ones.Mustelids are all carnivores and they can easily be recognized by their long body, short legs, and round head.
Although they are mostly small animals, they are very vicious and they can kill prey a few times bigger than them.Wild Animals That Look Like FerretsSome of the ferret-type animals we will share here are European polecats, black-footed ferrets, otters, wolverines, martens, minks, weasels, and stoats.
All those animals are wild animals, ferrets are the only domesticated Mustelidae at the moment.European PolecatsThe European polecat, Latin name Mustela putorius, is the most similar animal from the Mustelidae family to ferrets.
They are by size and the colors very similar to ferrets and people easily confuse those two predators.
Their fur coat is dark brown so sable and dark sable ferrets look like them the most.
Thanks to their genetic similarity, people breed European polecats with ferrets and their offsprings are often called “hybrids”.
Hybrids are not that easy to handle so they are recommended only for experienced ferret owners.Photo Source: Earlham InstituteBlack-footed FerretsThe black-footed ferrets, Latin name Mustela nigripes, is also known as American polecat.
This little predator is native to central North America and it is an animal-like ferret, although it doesn’t share that many genetic traits as European polecats.
Black-footed ferrets have very characteristic fur color, they are dark brown on the legs, the tip of the tail, on the back, and around the eyes.
The size is similar to our domesticated ferrets so you can easily consider them small animals.
If you want to read more about them, read my post about black-footed ferrets.
Photo Source: AnimalsWeaselsWeasels are probably the most famous animals that look like ferrets.
This small vicious predator is only 20 centimeters long (8 inches), but that doesn’t mean they can’t kill.
They are famous for killing rabbits and other bigger animals than them.
Weasels are easy to recognize because most of them come with red or brown fur with a white belly.
You can find them in most of North America, part of South America, entire Europe, and most of Asia.MartensMartens, Latin name Martes foina, is another small animal like ferret.
The size and shape of the body are similar to ferret’s, but the fur color changes from dark brown to yellow, depending on the species.
The interesting fact about those animals similar to ferrets is that they have partially retractile claws.
You can find martens in Europe, some parts of Asia including Japan and North America in Canada and Alaska, plus a very small part of Western USA.MinksThere are two mink species; the American mink and the European mink, Latin names Mustela lutreola and Neovison vison.
The American mink is stronger than the European but you can’t really tell them apart unless you look at their skeleton.
They are bigger than our ferrets, with an average size of around 55 centimeters (22 inches).
Their fur is mostly dark-colored in different shades of brown, while there are lighter colors bred especially for the fur industry so you can’t find them in the wild.
Every European mink has a white patch on its upper lip, but only a few American minks have the same marking.Photo Source: AnimalsWolverinesWolverines, Latin name Gulo Gulo, is the biggest and the baddest member of the Mustelidae family on land.
These animals that look like ferrets are pretty powerful and fierce so they will kill prey many times larger than them without too much trouble.
When it comes to physical description, wolverines look more like a small bear than a ferret thanks to their large torso, but they do have short legs and round heads.
They are around 80 centimeters (32 inches) in length so they are much bigger than ferrets and polecats.
Wolverines are most likely to find in the North Hemisphere in snow forests, alpine tundras, and other cold places.OttersOtters, Latin name Lutrinae, are another type of animals similar to ferrets although they are mostly connected to a body of water.
They can be semiaquatic, aquatic, and marine.
There are 13 otter species in this subfamily and they all look similar to ferret due to their long body and short legs.
The Asian small-clawed otter can be around 60 centimeters long (two feet), while the giant river otter can grow up to 1.8 meters (6 feet) in length.
Just like ferrets and other mustelids, otters are carnivores although their diet is connected to water so it is mostly fish or invertebrates.ConclusionThere are many animals similar to ferrets, but when it comes to pets, there are none.
The only animal you can consider a pet from the Mustelidae family, besides ferrets, are hybrids between ferrets and European polecats.