Pandora (a.k.a. Panda Bear, Princess Panda, Pandamonium, Lady Fang) is a 5-year old spayed female, also known as a sprite in ferret lingo. When we got her, she was a dark brown sable, with “Siamese†markings: a V-mask, darker points (legs and tail), and a dark “zipper†on her stomach. After a year or two, her color pattern changed to sable roan, which means that her tail and back legs gradually lightened: first to a salt-and-pepper effect, and eventually to nearly white. Today even her front half is salt-and-pepper, making her look like an entirely different ferret. (The photo above was taken just a few days ago; her tail is yellowish because it is spring and she’s extra-oily right now.)
As Jeremy likes to brag, our vet once told us that Pandora was a perfect specimen, fit to be “the mother of all ferrets.†She does have perfectly shaped and balanced features, and great health. Her teeth and ears stay relatively clean, her toe nails are perfectly shaped and don’t splinter when we clip them, and her fur is gorgeous and thick. We call her Lady Fang because her canines are long enough to peek out of her mouth.
Pandora has inspired our artwork, despite how difficult the gradation of her fur is to capture. For an example of this in my illuminations, click here.