ABSTRACT
The skin of the ferret is similar to that of other carnivores, although it is thicker in the shoulder area. There are two well-developed anal glands that secrete a pungent musk common in the Mustelids. The coat has ne underfur, with longer, coarser guard hairs. It provides dense insulation and is a durable fur that makes it useful for the fur industry, where it is called ‘tch’. The coat can change dramatically seasonally. The winter coat is thicker and softer than the summer coat, and even colour and markings may change (Fig. 21.1). The tail is densely furred and aids in swimming. Guard hairs and sensory hairs on the muzzle are grouped as a mystacial pad. Sensory hairs, innervated by three types of nerves, arise from the infraorbital branch of the trigeminal nerve. Deep and supercial vibrissal nerves innervate nearly exclusive targets in large follicle-sinus complexes at the base of each tactile vibrissa. Dermal plexus nerves innervate the fur between the vibrissae.
