The "American" Ferret, the ferret which is indigenous to the United States, is the Black-footed Ferret. It is long and skinny which means it can sneak into the burrows of its favorite dinner the prairie dog. This ferret is about 15" to 18" long and has a 5" or 6" long tail.
Most grownups think of the prairie dog as a pest. Farmers and ranchers got really mad when a horse or cow broke its leg by stepping into a praire dog hole. Prairie dogs were a nuisance and were poisoned. Ferrets starved to death because there were no prairie dogs to eat.
Ferrets are an endangered species. They could become extinct. But several states are trying to protect ferrets and their habitat.
When we look for the items that Trouble hid we are trying to "ferret them out."
fer l ret, (fer' it), n.
3. to drive out by using or as if using a ferret: to ferret rabbits from their burrows; to ferret out enemies.
6. to search out, discover, or bring to light (often followed by out): to ferret out the facts.
Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition, Random House, 1987
