Ferrets are cute little creatures with white, black, brown, etc., a slender body and round eyes, which are perfect as pets. But, you know what? Ferrets have a very special physiological phenomenon, that is, if the female ferret does not find a partner to mate after estrus, she will die! Is this true? Why is this happening? Let's unravel the mystery.
Ferrets belongSeasonal estrus animals, that is, they come into heat only during a certain season of the year, usually spring, ready to mate and give birth. At this time, the female ferret's body secretes a so-calledEstrogenThis hormone can promote the development of the sexual organs of the female ferret, making them more sensitive and attractive to the opposite sex. At the same time, estrogen also inhibits another calledLuteinizing hormoneThe role of this hormone is to promote the release of eggs and the formation of the endometrium in the female ferret, preparing for fertilization and pregnancy.
So, here's the problem. If the female ferret does not find a mate to mate with after coming into heat, then they will always have a lot of estrogen in their bodies and not enough luteinizing hormone. In this way, the ovaries of the female ferret will always be therePersistent heatThe state, that is, that their ovaries have been secreting estrogen without releasing eggs. What are the consequences of this? That is, the ovaries of the female ferret will continue to enlarge, and the endometrium will continue to degenerate, resulting inOvarian hyperplasiawithEndometrial atrophy。Both of these conditions can seriously affect the health of the female ferret and even lead to:AnemiaBleedingInfectionwithDeath
Why do female ferrets have such physiological phenomena? This brings us to the origin of the ferret. Ferrets were originally wild animals that lived in Eurasia, and their ancestors were European minks.
European mink live in a harsh environment, with scarce food and many predators, so they must make the best use of their limited resources to ensure their survival and reproduction. To achieve this, the female European mink has developed a special reproductive strategy, namely:Delayed ovulation。The principle of this strategy is,Only after mating does the female ferret trigger the secretion of luteinizing hormone, which allows the egg to be released and fertilized。In this way, the female ferret can choose the right mating time and object according to her own situation, avoid wasting eggs, and improve the success rate of conception. It is worth mentioning that giant pandas have a similar phenomenon.
This strategy is very advantageous for wild European mink, as they have the flexibility to adapt their reproductive behavior to changes in the environment. However, for ferrets that have been domesticated by humans, this strategy becomes an evolutionary trap. Because of human intervention, the living environment of ferrets has changed dramatically, and they no longer need to worry about food and predators, nor do they need to compete for reproduction, but are completely dependent on human feeding and care. In this way,As a pet, the female ferret loses its natural mating opportunity, while their bodies still secrete estrogen according to the original law, waiting for the mating signal. Without timely human intervention, the female ferret will fall intoPersistent heatThe predicament eventually led to their own death.
Ferrets