Ferret ('mustela furo')

Taxidermist: Jefferies of Carmarthen
Case: varnished oak case which was typical of Jefferies' work
Dimensions: height x width x depth: 57 x 40.5 x 22 cms

In certain parts of Britain the ferret has long been used as a working animal, being sent underground to flush out rabbits from their warrens. The ferret is generally much paler than the polecat, from which it was originally bred. It bears a great resemblance to the steppe polecat of the Asiatic plains. Even after many generation of breeding in captivity it can only really be semi-domesticated and many escape and live in the wild.

Description: Ceredigion Museum