Weasel war dance
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The weasel war dance is a colloquial term for a behavior of excited ferrets and weasels. In wild animals, it is speculated that this dance is used to confuse or disorient prey.[1] In domestic animals, the war dance usually follows play or the successful capture of a toy or a stolen object and shows that the ferret is thoroughly enjoying itself. It consists of a frenzied series of sideways and backwards hops, often accompanied by an arched back, and a frizzy tail. Ferrets are notoriously clumsy in their surroundings during their dance and will often bump into or fall over objects and furniture.[2] Although the weasel war dance may make a ferret appear frightened or angry, they are often just excited and are usually harmless to humans.
[edit] References
- ^ King, Carolyn M. et al The Natural History of Weasels and Stoats [1], P. 120
- ^ Balmain, David (2008). Ferret. O'Reilly Media, Inc.. p. 101. http://books.google.com/books?id=mI0bte6BLdgC&pg=PA101&dq=%22weasel+war+dance%22&hl=en&ei=-CnxTZibPIqusAO-ufm-Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22weasel%20war%20dance%22&f=false. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
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