Ferret

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Ferret

Pest alert

If you have seen this pest

Call QPIF  13 25 23

Photograph of a ferret in side-view lying in grass
Ferret (Mustela furo)
Photograph of a single ferret
It is illegal to keep ferrets as pets in Queensland

General information

Ferrets (Mustela furo) are a Class 1 declared pest animal in Queensland. Class 1 pests established in Queensland are subject to eradication from the state. It is a serious offence to introduce, keep or supply a Class 1 pest without a permit issued by Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries. Penalties of up to $80,000 apply.

It is also an offence to release a Class 1 animal into the environment. Other Australian states also have restrictions on keeping ferrets as pets.

Ferrets are slender-bodied carnivorous mammals that are native to Europe. They are a descendant of the polecat and a member of the mustelid family, which includes stoats, weasels, badgers, skunks, otters and minks.

Overview

Scientific name

Mustela furo

Impacts
  • can cause considerable damage to native animals
  • has impacts on poultry
  • transmits disease in stock and humans
Description
  • 48-60 cm long, including the tail
  • can weigh up to 2.3 kg
  • has a long 'slinky' body, short legs, and a furry tail that is about half as long as the body
  • domestication of ferrets has led to a variety of coat colours, ranging from albino to cream, sand, ginger, brown, and the original dark brown with cream underbelly
Habitat and distribution
  • ferrets released in New Zealand in an attempt to control rabbits have formed feral populations
  • have been implicated in the decline of native birds, including the kakapo, black stilts and royal albatrosses
Declaration details
  • a declared Class 1 animal under the Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002
  • importation, possession and sale is prohibited
  • landowners are required by law to keep their land free of this pest
Further information
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Page maintained by Sonia Jordan
Last reviewed 14 October 2009

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© The State of Queensland, Primary Industries and Fisheries within the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation 1995-2009.
Copyright protects this material. Except as permitted by the Copyright Act, reproduction by any means (photocopying, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise), making available online, electronic transmission or other publication of this material is prohibited without the prior written permission of The Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, Queensland. Inquiries should be addressed to copyright@dpi.qld.gov.au (Queensland residents phone 13 25 23; non-Queensland residents phone 61 7 3404 6999).