Expert’s answer:
About the Black-Footed Ferret
The black-footed ferret, scientifically known as Mustela nigripes, is an endangered species native to North America. It is the only ferret native to the Americas and is specialized in hunting prairie dogs. Here are some key points about the black-footed ferret:
- Population: There are currently an estimated 300 black-footed ferrets in the wild, and biologists estimate that there should be 3,000 adult ferrets in the wild to successfully recover this endangered species.
- Habitat and Diet: Black-footed ferrets inhabit open grasslands and prairies and are almost exclusively dependent on prairie dogs for their diet. In the wild, 90 percent of their diet consists of prairie dogs, and they have evolved to depend almost exclusively on them.
- Conservation Efforts: Captive breeding, reintroductions, habitat protection, and cloning have been instrumental in restoring the black-footed ferret population. However, habitat loss and disease remain key threats to their survival.
- Reintroduction to the Wild: Reintroduction efforts have faced challenges, as populations need viable prairie dog towns to survive and face threats from predators such as golden eagles, owls, and coyotes. Reintroduced animals also lack some survival skills, leading to a high mortality rate.
- Physical Characteristics: Black-footed ferrets can weigh 1.4 to 2.5 pounds and have black fur on their feet and tail tip, with a distinctive mask across the eyes. Their fur on the upper body is yellowish buff, occasionally whitish.
- Distribution: Historically, the black-footed ferret occurred in the High Plains, Rolling Plains, and Trans-Pecos regions of North America. Wild populations currently exist in Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana.
The black-footed ferret has faced significant challenges due to habitat loss and disease, but conservation efforts have been ongoing to restore and protect this endangered species.
Videos
📹 The Most Endangered Animal In The World | Prairie Bandit | Real Wild
Their habitat once stretched across the Prairies. But when humans wiped out the one thing they eat, the black-footed ferret…
Source (Youtube): Real Wild·👀 172769·Created: 4 years ago
📹 FERRET in Action! Facts about Fast and agile Ferret terrifies snakes, rabbits and squirrels
The fastest and most agile of the mustelid family – the ferret in action! Ferret versus squirrel, rabbits and gophers. Ferret vs rat.
Source (Youtube): WILDOPEDIA·👀 1026052·Created: 1 year ago
Images
Books
 | Black-footed Ferret Recovery Plan |
| Author: S. C. Forrest Year: 1988 | |
 | Scientific Foundations of Zoos and Aquariums: Their Role in … |
| Author: – Year: – Description: Using first-person stories and approachable scientific reviews, this volume explores how zoos conduct and support science around the world. | |
 | The Endangereds |
| Author: Philippe Cousteau Year: 2020 Description: </strong> The Endangereds is the first book in a thrilling new adventure series by world-renowned environmentalist and Emmy-nominated host of Xploration Awesome Planet Philippe Cousteau and award-winning TURBO Racers author Austin Aslan. | |
 | Creative Conservation: Interactive management of wild and … |
| Author: – Year: – Description: Past progress and future challenges R.J. Wheater Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK. In the past two decades much has been achieved in the sphere of breeding endangered species, and we should be pleased that our co … | |
 | Black-footed Ferrets: Back from the Brink |
| Author: Miriam Aronin Year: 2008 Description: True tales of wildlife survival show how the heroic efforts of people who stepped in when all seemed lost have brought these endangered animals back from the brink of extinction. | |
 | The Black-footed Ferret |
| Author: – Year: – Description: Describes the habits and behavior of an endangered species of American wildlife, the black-footed ferret, a member of the weasel family. |
Quora
Why don’t black bears make good pets?
🧑 Taylor White·Created: 11.06.2018·Updated: –
They actually might make good pets. They are in the same sub-order of the order Carnivora called, Caniformia, as dogs, foxes, and weasels (ferrets) all of which have been successfully domesticated. Some researchers believe that dogs self domesticated. To test this hypothesis and the hypothesis that the domestication phenotype arises from breeding s…
☝ Voted: 7·💬 4·👀 3214·🔄 0
Is a ferret a weasel?
🧑 Claire Jordan·Created: 27.01.2022·Updated: 28.01.2022
Loosely. That is, they’re both mustelids, and some people do call all mustelids weasels – but strictly speaking a weasel is a particular species of mustelid, similar to a ferret but *much* smaller.This incredibly tame weasel came to say hiMeanwhile, domestic ferretsPolecat jill tame back for saleare not a separate species but just a domesticated st…
☝ Voted: 289·💬 2·👀 13669·&nb
sp;🔄 5
Wouldn’t the animals that people raise as pets be happier if they were with the animal that gave birth to them and in their natural habitat?
🧑 Aimée Jo Weaver·Created: 20.08.2016·Updated: –
A2A“Wouldn’t the animals that people raise as pets be happier if they were with the animal that gave birth to them and in their natural habitat?“Most animals that people raise as pets are, sadly, orphans. Worse, many seem to be made orphans. Wouldn’t the animals be much happier if they were with their mother and/or father and other family members (…
☝ Voted: 43·💬 49·👀 2762·🔄 0
What are some common misconceptions about ferrets?
🧑 Jennifer Ferret Love·Created: 25.10.2019·Updated: –
Ferrets are silent creatures.Tell that to ferret owners. Ferrets can make noises and often do so while playing or dancing (known as “dooking” by some ferret owners). While they may not be the most vocal animals, they are certainly not silent.2. Ferrets have great vision because they burrow in the dark.Ferrets do not have good vision and can see onl…
☝ Voted: 9·💬 10·👀 380·🔄 0
China has pandas and Australia has kangaroos. What does your country have?
🧑 Amy Christa Ernano·Created: 23.10.2022·Updated: 24.10.2022
U.S. here.The black-footed ferret. Also known as the American polecat, these little mustelids almost disappeared completely; the species was actually declared extinct in 1979. The main reason for the ferret’s decline was the decimation of prairie dogs by humans — prairie dogs are the ferret’s primary prey, and since humans literally killed 99.5% of…
☝ Voted: 508·💬 590·👀 5255·🔄 7
🎯 r/Awwducational·31-12-2021
Black-footed ferrets are among the most endangered and rarest mammals native to North America. In fact, the species was declared extinct in 1979, however, in 1981 a residual wild population was discovered in Wyoming. This ferret, born in 2020, was the first ever U.S. endangered animal to be cloned.
Votes: 15693·Comments: 140
🎯 r/Awwducational·20-04-2022
The Black Footed Ferret. These little rarities are solitary nocturnal hunters, except when they have kids to take care of.
Votes: 6525·Comments: 39
🎯 r/Awwducational·12-08-2020
The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) was declared extinct in 1979 due to decline in prairie dog populations and the Sylvatic plague. However, a remnant population was found on a farm in Wyoming. All wild populations today are descended from 18 individuals captured and bred in captivity.
Votes: 9909·Comments: 83
🎯 r/ottawa·25-06-2023
Are there wild black ferrets
in Ottawa?
Votes: 4·Comments: 16
🎯 r/reddeadredemption·21-01-2022
Hey all I just found a black arabian roaming around in the wild near reservation and wanted to share
Votes: 1090·Comments: 132
🌎 World Wildlife Fund
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/black-footed-ferret
Black-footed Ferret
Annotation: The black-footed ferret is an endangered mammal species in North America that has been rediscovered in Wyoming in 1981. Captive breeding, reintroductions, habitat protection, and cloning have helped restore them to over 300 animals in the wild. However, habitat loss and disease remain their key threats. The North American Grasslands Conservation Act has been introduced to protect and restore iconic grassland landscapes. The World Wildlife Fund and partners are working to maintain and enhance existing ferret populations, establish new reintroduction sites, and support efforts to address sylvatic plague. The ferrets are entirely dependent on the presence of prairie dogs and their colonies for food, shelter, and raising young. WWF leads recovery efforts by working alongside other conservation organizations, land management agencies, tribes, and landowners to build the conditions necessary for sustainable levels of recovery. The species is currently classified as Critically Endangered, Vulnerable, Near Threatened, and Least Concern, and is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future. The Fort Belknap Fish and Wildlife Department is working to remove the ferret from the list of Threatened and Endangered Species to restore the Northern Great Plains.
Author: WORLDWILDLIFE.ORG·Size: 4740 chr
🌎 Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/black-footed-ferret
Black-footed ferret
Annotation: The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute is a leader in conservation of black-footed ferrets. They work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reintroduce ferrets back into the wild. The reintroduction programs cover parts of Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, New Mexico, Canada, and Mexico. Scientists hope to research more about sylvatic plague, genetic diversity, ferret health, behavior in the wild, reproduction and sem*n cryopreservation. The biggest threat to these animals is lack of suitable habitat and the continued decline of the prairie dog, their main prey.
Author: SI.EDU·Size: 3636 chr
🌎 Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-footed_ferret
Black-footed ferret
Annotation: The black-footed ferret is a mustelid native to central North America. It is largely nocturnal and solitary, except when breeding or raising litters. It declined throughout the 20th century, primarily due to decreases in prairie dog populations and sylvatic plague. It was first listed as endangered in 1982, then upgraded back to endangered in the IUCN Red List in 2008. The species has a long, slender body with black outlines on its paws, ears, parts of its face and its tail. Its closest relative is the Asian steppe polecat.
Author: CONTRIBUTORS TO WIKIMEDIA PROJECTS·Published: 26-05-2003·Updated: 10-01-2024·Size: 41693 chr
🌎 FWS.gov
https://www.fws.gov/species/black-footed-ferret-mustela-nigripes
Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes)
Annotation: The black-footed ferret is a medium-sized carnivore in the mustelid family. It was first described in 1851 and is the only ferret species native to the Americas. The ferrets were presumed extinct throughout their range due to landscape alterations from agricultural expansion and prairie dog eradication. However, a small population of ferrets was discovered in Mellette County, South Dakota, in 1964, and in 1979, what was thought to be the last ferret died in captivity. The National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center was established in 2001 near Fort Collins, Colorado, and the other captive breeding facilities are located in Virginia, Kentucky, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The four primary stressors to wild and captive populations are disease, drought, declining genetic fitness, and non-native sylvatic plague.
Author: FWS.GOV·Size: 9955 chr
🌎 The Nature Conservancy
https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/animals-we-protect/black-footed-ferret/
Black-footed Ferret
Annotation: Black-footed ferrets are a member of the weasel family and are incredible hunters. They were feared extinct in the 1970s due to widespread prairie dog declines. However, conservationists re-established their numbers in captivity, with an approximated 300 now living in the wild at dozens of sites across the US. These efforts contribute to preserving other important but less well-known (and often less charismatic) species in the North American prairie ecosystem.
Author: NATURE.ORG·Size: 3534 chr
🌎 MT.GOV
https://fieldguide.mt.gov/?elcode=AMAJF02040
Black-footed Ferret – Montana Field Guide
Annotation: The Black-footed Ferret is a weasel-like mammal with a cream-colored body, short legs, and a long tail. They are closely tied to prairie dogs and are limited to open habitats like grasslands, steppe, and shrub steppe. They do not dig their own burrows and rely on abandoned prairie dog burrows for shelter. Only large colonies can support a breeding population, and females with litters have never been found on colonies less than 49 hectares. The species is associated with 82 ecological systems mapped in Montana for vertebrate animal species that regularly breed, overwinter, or migrate through the state. These associations were made by evaluating structural characteristics and distribution of each ecological system relative to the species range and habitat requirements. Observation records for each species were examined and calculated to get a measure of observations versus availability of habitat. Species were listed as associated with an ecological system if structural characteristics of used habitat documented in the literature were present or large numbers of point observations were associated with the ecological system. Species that breed in Montana were only evaluated for breeding habitat use.
Author: WEBMASTER, DAVID RATZ, NATURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM – WEBMASTER, MONTANA FISH, WILDLIFE AND PARKS·Size: 27807 chr
🌎 Colorado Parks and Wildlife
https://cpw.state.co.us/conservation/pages/con-ferret.aspx
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Annotation: Black-footed ferrets were thought extinct twice before being reintroduced to Colorado in the early 1940s. There are currently about 600 ferrets split between captive breeding facilities and wild relocation sites. Ferrets are a mid-level predator, preying mostly on prairie dogs and providing food for raptors and other night hunters. The National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center is training individual ferrets to display their ability to survive in the wild. The current work focuses on plague management and continuing ferret reintroduction efforts to increase genetic diversity at each site.
Author: STATE.CO.US·Size: 1807 chr
🌎 NHPBS.ORG
https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/blackfootedferret.htm
Black-footed Ferret – Mustela nigripes
Annotation: The black-footed ferret is a member of the mustelidae family with yellowish-brown fur and a blackish wash of fur on its back. It has a black-tipped tail and black feet with long claws, and is the only ferret native to North America. It is found in Montana, South Dakota, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Arizona, New Mexico, and Chihuahua, Mexico. It often makes its homes in abandoned prairie dog burrows and eats prairie dogs, mice, gophers, and ground squirrels. It mates in March and April and has a litter of 3-5 young in a burrow in the ground 41 days after mating. The young are born blind and helpless and are covered with a fine white fur. They develop markings when they are about three weeks old and open their eyes at about a month old. The ferrets are mostly nocturnal and spend most of their time underground. They are on the U.S. Endangered Species List due to destruction of habitat, predation, and disease. The last known colony in South Dakota disappeared in 1976, and since 1991, ferrets descended from that original group have been released in the wild in several states.
Author: NHPBS.ORG·Size: 3334 chr
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