🐾
Death by Celibacy
Female ferrets can die if they go into heat and don't mate — prolonged estrogen exposure causes fatal bone marrow suppression.
Ferret
Mustela putorius furo
Female ferrets have a unique and potentially deadly relationship with their reproductive cycle.
Vital Stats
🏷️ TypeMustelid (weasel family)
🌍 Found InDomesticated worldwide; wild ancestor in European forests
📏 Size33-53cm body + 7-13cm tail, 0.7-2kg
⏳ Lifespan5-10 years
🔞 Sexual Maturity4-8 months
💕 Mating SystemInduced ovulators — female must mate to ovulate
📅 Mating SeasonMarch - August (longer daylight triggers estrus)
🤰 Gestation42 days
👶 Offspring1-18 kits per litter (average 8)
🍆 Penis Size5 cm
⏱️ Sex Duration1 hour
🔬 Notable AnatomyFemales die from aplastic anemia if they don't mate; estrogen toxicity without ovulation
⚖️ Sexual DimorphismMales up to 2x larger than females