Different Ferret Colors and Patterns

There are too many different ferret colors to count. The loveable ferret comes in many different colors. It is joked that an owner can literally purchase a ferret that matches the color of his car or the color of his favorite shirt. Although, this may seem like an exaggeration, the colors of ferrets are far from being few. As a result of selective breeding, you can mix different colorings of ferrets and basically get anything that is to your liking.

Ferret Colors and Patterns

There are four basic ferret colors. These colors are silver, albino, dark eyed white and sable. There are many different sources that will say that there are only two types of colors for ferrets, those colors being sable and albino.

However, it is also believed that the additional colors are a result of the color combination of selective breeding. These have taken on the descriptive names of patterns such as mitt, blaze, hooded, badger or Shetland, roan, Siamese, chocolate and panda.

Yes, with the many different types of colors and patterns even ferret owners have difficulty identifying the colors of their pets. The colors can be quite confusing and overwhelming if you don’t know exactly how to identify them. Even the slightest of coloring can change the perceived color or pattern of a ferret.

Body Features

Ferret colors can be identified based upon certain features of ferrets. Color is based upon the eyes, nose, undercoat and guard hairs. Because of the blurring of the different colors, it is usually hard to determine an exact color of ferrets. Owners look to these many features for identification. There are even online tools available to help owners identify pet color.

The purest of the colors is albino. An albino ferret will have guard hairs that are white, a pink nose, pink eyes and a white undercoat. This particular color is easy to identify because it has not been mixed or blurred due to selective breeding. On the other end of the spectrum is the sable ferret. Its guard hairs are usually the darkest, but its undercoat is white. In addition, its nose and eyes are also dark in nature. Both the sable and albino are considered to be ferret colors that are extremely basic.

Changes Changes Changes

A ferret’s color is constantly changing. All ferrets are born white. As it matures, different factors will cause a ferret to change colors. The same ferret can have one color during the springtime and a different one during the fall. Ferrets are known to change colors during the many different season changes. A female ferret’s color can change due to reproductive cycles. If she is in heat, chances are her fur will change.

In addition, temperature changes can affect ferret colors as well. Unfortunately many ferret owners learn about these changes the hard way. They pick a ferret for its color only to learn that the ferret may not continue to stay this particular color all the time. As a result, you should never buy your new ferret based upon color only. Choose your ferret for its inquisitive nature and playfulness and you’ll find that ferret color won’t matter nearly as much as enjoying your new pet.