If you are specifically referring to domesticated pet ferrets, then you should know by now that there is only one breed for you to pick from, even though it can be referred to as the Angora, European or the Standard breed all alike.
With that being said though, ferrets tend to vary in size and especially when it comes to their fur colors, lengths and patterns.
And as such, in order to help buyers have an easier time finding the perfect ferret to adopt, the American Ferret Association decided to separate the breed into several subtypes.
There are a total of seven different ferret colors and seven different ferret patterns to pick from, but depending on the breeders themselves, you may be able to get even more types as long as they have them in stock.
This is why in this article we decided to cover the 15 most popular ferret types you will find out there. Again, only a handful of these are actually acknowledged by the AFA though, so don’t think of these as actual separate breeds.
There is only one breed out there, but with that being said, here are the 15 different ferret types you could go for:
1. Sable Color
These are by far the most commonly found ferrets out there. As such, if you’re primarily just looking to get your hands on a random ferret then this is the color you should opt for.
They can be found in pretty much every pet store around the country, and what’s best about them is that they are very adorable and easy to find due to their fur color.
As you can probably guess from the name of the type alone, the top layer of the ferret’s hair is rich brown with its undercoat being a tad bit lighter.
This fully depends on the ferret itself though as some of them have a creamy undercoat while others have a downright white undercoat color.
In some cases, you may even find that your ferret’s undercoat is golden, but this is a bit rarer to find. Do keep in mind however that a lot of the time, the undercoat color will change as the ferret ages.
This is a warning to everyone out there looking to get a specific-colored ferret as a pet, as in a lot of cases there is no foolproof way to make sure that your ferret will remain this color as they mature.
2. Black Sable Color
Many people believe that the black sable variety is actually all the same as the ordinary sable colored ferret, but this is not the case.
In fact, they are very different from another, and if you were to put the two types next to each other you could easily tell them apart.
But what exactly is the difference between the two? Well, for one, as the name implies, the black sable ferret is known for having much darker guard hairs.
When it comes to their undercoat, there is little to no real difference between the two though, with most of them sporting a cream or white undercoat just the same as the ordinary sable color.
Still, this type is a bit harder to find than the usual sable color type. This is a bit of a shame because the darker color does make its undercoat look a bit brighter to us.
Regardless, it is still not the hardest color variety to come across, so be sure to check in with your local breeder or better yet, your local pet shop if you want to see whether they have a black sable colored ferret in their stock or not.
3. Chocolate Color
The chocolate-colored ferret type is actually quite a striking little bugger. This is actually one of the most popular types of ferrets we’ve seen around collectors, simply because of how beautiful and easy on the eyes their color palette is.
Interestingly enough, even though it is considered to be a chocolate-colored ferret, we would argue that the color is a little bit lighter than that, if anything, it’s more so milk chocolate-like.
Regardless, what makes its appearance so striking in the first place is the fact that its undercoat is white, which gives it a very cappuccino-like appearance.
At the same time, the chocolate variety is known for its dark eyes as it is by far one of its most easily recognizable traits.
But, do keep in mind that depending on the ferret you actually get on your hands, you may find that its nose is a different color altogether.
In some cases, the nose is a very bright and easy to distinguish pink, but in other cases it is downright brown.
This again all depends on the ferret you actually get, but luckily, the chocolate-colored ferret rarely changes its coat as it grows older.
4. Cinnamon Color
The cinnamon colored ferret may not be an officially recognized AFA color, but it is still a very important one to mention here as it just warms our heart to see it running around all joyously.
But as you can tell from the name alone, the cinnamon ferrets are known for having a lighter brown to reddish coat.
They are quite rare and hard to come by, so if you do happen to stumble across one you may want to invest into it simply because of the uniqueness factor.
Regardless, the undercoat of the cinnamon ferret is often times white, although in some cases you may also come across one that has a golden undercoat.
Its nose is also worth mentioning here as it usually varies between beige, pink and brick red. In some cases it can be a mix between all of these though, so keep that in mind.
As mentioned previously, it is quite a hard-to-find variety though, so if you are primarily hoping to find this at your local pet shop, you may need to lower your expectations a bit because they’re not exactly being bred all that much out there.
5. Champagne Color
If you want to find a champagne-colored ferret you may want to also keep in mind that in some cases this variety is referred to as the diluted chocolate color.
With that being said, champagne ferrets are known for having lighter guard hairs as well as white to cream undercoats.
Their eyes are also known for being light most of the time, although in some cases they can also be a darker reddish color.
If you are specifically trying to find a darker reddish color eyed ferret you may need to look a bit more to find one at your local pet shop.
Even so, the champagne color is actually not that uncommon out there, so you shouldn’t have trouble coming across one at your local breeder or pet shop.
6. Black Color
Many people believe that when you mention a black ferret you’re simply referring to a tad darker version of the black sable, but they’re mistaken.
A true black ferret is way different, as it has black guard hairs as well as a white undercoat, which makes for an incredible contrast to behold.
On top of that, its eyes are also pure black, and your ferret should have a very dark black nose that makes it look less like the standard black sable ferret and more so like a little trash panda.
The nose can be spotted every now and then though depending on the ferret’s genes of course, but in most cases, it is solid black.
This is quite a rare color to go for, but if you can find it we wholeheartedly believe that you should get it simply because of how beautiful they are.
We’ve only ever seen a handful of black ferrets in our life, but the few that we saw stood out immediately as some of the most unique looking buggers out there.
7. Albino Color
Next up on our list we have the true albino color variety. This is quickly becoming one of the most popular ferret types out there, simply because of how unique they are.
Do keep in mind however that not all white ferrets are albino, as a true albino is a white to cream ferret with red or pink eyes and a very distinctly soft pink nose. If your albino ferret does not have pink eyes or noses then it’s not an actual albino ferret after all.
As of late, albino ferrets have taken over the market, as there is an increasing demand for them due to their popularity with millennials.
This has worked in their favor though, as in case you didn’t know by now, albino varieties are known for living short lives in the wild.
So, by giving them a home you are helping them actually live the long and prosperous lives that they deserve to live.
The only real albino ferrets we saw out there all seemed to be quite overpriced though, so keep that in mind before making your purchase as there are a lot more affordable options out there.
8. Dark-Eyed White Color
Similarly to the black and black sable varieties, many people believe that if they have a dark-eyed white color ferret then they have an albino ferret.
They are mistaken though as dark-eyed white color ferrets are way different than albinos, with the biggest difference between the two being the eye color alone.
As you can probably tell from the name of the variety, this type of ferret has dark or even pure black eyes. On top of that, this type is known for having white to cream fur, but if you do end up with a cream-furred ferret keep in mind that their eyes tend to be more burgundy than anything.
9. Black Sable Mitt
Black sable mitt ferrets are very similar to black sables, with the only real difference between the two being the four white feet that they sport.
They are also referred to as the black sables with white or cream color socks, and while they are not recognized by any organization, they are still quite adorable to say the least. These mitts they have on start from the toe tip and they go up around two-thirds of their legs.
Interestingly enough, the guard hairs they have are either pure black or they tend to have a few stray white hairs on the sides.
Besides the mitts, black sable mitt ferrets are known for having white bibs sometimes. This is not a must for this type though, so don’t be alarmed if your black sable mitt ferret doesn’t have this feature.
Their eyes are known for being pure black or mostly black, and when it comes to their nose you can also expect it to be dark if not pure black.
10. Chocolate Mitt
Similarly to the black sable mitt variety, the chocolate mitt ferret is known for having the same color palette fur as the ordinary chocolate ferret, with an added pair of mitts on.
They are adorable little munchkins, and even though we’ve never seen one with our very own eyes we can still say that they are absolute cuties based on the pictures we’ve seen online over the years.
The mitts start from the toe tip and they usually get up to two-thirds of their legs, although in some cases you may find that your chocolate mitt ferret’s mitts stop earlier than that.
11. Dalmatian Color
Dalmatian ferrets are known for being almost entirely white with a few dark spots running across their bodies.
On top of that they also have dark ruby or pure black eyes and they’re known for being one of the rarest types of ferrets you can find.
Dalmatian ferrets also tend to have pink noses, and the reason as to why they are so popular despite how few of them are out there is because the patterns they tend to have on their back is entirely random.
This means that the pattern your dalmatian ferret has on their back is unique to them, which in turn makes it a must-have for most collectors out there.
Do keep in mind though that the rest of the spot-free coat may be any color aside from black, so you can also find different base colored ferrets that have the same pattern of black botches or spots running across their back.
12. Heavy Silver or Pewter Color
Heavy Silver Ferrets tend to have a deep, almost gunmetal like grey coat with black hairs running across their body.
They sport black noses for the most part, but in some cases you may also find a heavy silver ferret with a mottled or even pink nose. Their mitts are very visible and their mask seems almost blotch-like right underneath their eyes.
This is a very hard to find variety of ferret that is not easy to come by, so if you do see one be sure to take a picture of it at the very least because trust us when we tell you, a lot of collectors are looking for this specific type out there.
While not the most popular type of ferret, we still have to say that it is well worth the extra price if you like the fur coat and pattern.
13. Panda
Panda ferrets are known for having a white head as well as white hairs covering the nose to the shoulder area.
They have a signature white bib that you can see running below the ferret’s body, and on top of that their colored side is known for having an almost saddle-like shape.
Panda ferrets are also known for having pink noses as well as white-tipped mitts, if your ferret doesn’t have these features then chances are that they are not a panda variety after all.
14. Siamese
Siamese ferrets are pretty much just ordinary sable, cinnamon or chocolate ferrets, with the only real difference between them being the fact that Siamese ferrets have darker shades around their lower side.
In some cases, they may also have a V-shaped mask on that is darker colored than the standard sable, cinnamon or chocolate ferret varieties.
15. Striped White
Last but not least we have the striped white ferrets. This type of ferret is known for having a white coat with a dark line running across their back. This line tends to trace all across their backbone, and it is known for reaching their tail.
As far as their noses are concerned, they tend to be either black or pink, with their eyes also being dark ruby or pink for the most part.
Conclusion
Ferrets are known for being absolutely adorable, and as the years roll on by, they are only increasing in popularity.
As such, we can safely say that the number of types and varieties out there will only increase as the demand for ferrets also skyrockets.
