Hearing in the ferret (Mustela putorius): thresholds for pure tone detection

Thresholds for pure tone detection were determined for two male ferrets (Mustela putorius) using standard behavioral testing procedures. Both animals had a broad range of hearing comparable to that seen in other Carnivores. The lower limit of hearing at 60 dB SPL was estimated from the average audiogram to be 36 Hz, and the upper limit of hearing was 44 kHz. The lowest thresholds were found in the region of 8-12 kHz with both animals exhibiting sharp tuning at best frequency.