breed Library > Ferret > Black Footed

Description

The Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes) is a small carnivorous North American mammal closely related to the Steppe Polecat of Russia, and a member of the diverse family Mustelidae which also includes weasels, mink, polecats, martens, otters, and badgers. It should not be confused with the domesticated ferret.

Proportions

Black-footed Ferrets are about 45 cm (18 inches) long, with a furry 15 cm (6 inch) tail.
They weigh roughly 1 kg (2 pounds).

Background

They are nocturnal hunters that are almost entirely dependent on a plentiful supply of prairie dogs to prey on, and shelter in a prairie dog burrow during the day. A single family of four Black-footed Ferrets eats about 250 prairie dogs each year and cannot survive without access to large colonies of them. (http://www.animalinfo.org/species/carnivor/mustnigr.htm#data)

Personality

The black-footed ferret is secretive and primarily nocturnal. It is thought to have keen senses of hearing, smell and sight. The black-footed ferret is highly dependent on the prairie dog. In addition to feeding on prairie dogs, the ferret lives in prairie dog colonies. It spends most of its time underground in prairie dog burrows, typically spending only a few minutes aboveground each day to hunt or find new burrows or mates. In burrows it sleeps, caches its food, avoids predators and harsh weather, and gives birth to its young. (Caughley & Gunn 1996, Hammerson et al./NatureServe 2005, Black-footed Ferret Recov. Prog. 2005) Activity - Most of the black-footed ferret’s daytime activity is limited to the first few hours following sunrise. Males are more active than females. The ferret does not hibernate, but in winter, the amount of time it is active and the distances it travels decrease substantially. In winter the ferret can be inactive for periods of up to 6 nights and days. While remaining in a burrow the ferret subsists on cached food. (Hammerson et al./NatureServe 2005, Black-footed Ferret Recov. Prog. 2005) Movement - When aboveground, the black-footed ferret travels in a series of jumps or a slow gallop. It can travel at a rate of 8 - 11 kph (5 - 7 mph). Biologists have tracked ferrets who have traveled 10 km (6 mi) in one night, and one ferret investigated more than 100 prairie dog burrows in one night. Distances traveled by males tend to be about double those of females. (Black-footed Ferret Recov. Prog. 2005) Communication - The black-footed ferret is a very vocal animal. It chatters loudly when it is alarmed or excited. At such times, it emits several loud barks interrupted by low hissing sounds. A male ferret "chortles" to a female during breeding, and ferret kits emit tiny squeaking sounds. The black-footed ferret also communicates with scent. It marks its territory by rubbing its scent glands on rocks, soil, and vegetation. (Black-footed Ferret Recov. Prog. 2005)

Things to Note

The loss of their prairie grassland habitat, the drastic reduction of prairie dog numbers (through both habitat loss and poisoning), and the effects of canine distemper and sylvatic plague (similar to bubonic plague) have all contributed to the near-extinction of the species during the 19th and 20th centuries. Even before their numbers declined, Black-footed Ferrets were rarely seen: they weren't officially recognized as a species by scientists until 1851, following publication of a book by naturalist John James Audubon and Rev. John Bachman. Even then, their existence was questioned since no other Black-footed Ferrets were reported for over twenty years. In 1981, a very small population of about 130 animals was discovered near Meeteetse, Wyoming. Soon after discovery, the population began a rapid decline due to disease. By 1986, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department led a cooperative program to capture the 18 remaining animals and begin an intensive captive breeding program. At that time, the entire world population amounted to about 50 individuals in captivity. U.S. federal and state agencies, in cooperation with private landowners, conservation groups, Native Americans, and North American zoos, have been actively reintroducing ferrets back into the wild since 1991. Beginning in Wyoming, reintroduction efforts have since expanded to sites in Montana, South Dakota, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Chihuahua, Mexico. Proposed reintroduction sites have been identified in Canada. As of 2005, conservationists estimate a total wild population of 400 black-footed ferrets in the United States. The recovery plan calls for the establishment of 10 or more separate, self-sustaining wild populations. Biologists hope to have 1500 Black-footed Ferrets established in the wild by the year 2010, with at least 30 breeding adults in each population. Meeting this objective would allow the conservation status of the species to be downgraded to threatened. The black-footed ferret is one of the world's rarest mammals.

Special Talents

The ferret's long slender body allows it to slip down burrows to find its prey while they sleep. This reduces the ferret's risk of injury when attacking prey the same size as itself.