Black-footed Ferret

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.

Related Topics:
Mammal - Steppe Polecat - Russia - Mustelidae - Weasel - Mink - Polecat - Marten - Otter - Badger - Domesticated ferret

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The Black-footed Ferret is the most endangered mammal in North America, according to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). They became extinct in the wild in Canada in 1937, and were classified as endangered in the U.S. in 1967. The last known wild population was taken into captivity in the mid-1980s, a few years after its accidental discovery in Wyoming.

Related Topics:
Endangered mammal - North America - U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Canada - 1937 - U.S. - 1967 - 1980 - Wyoming

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Black-footed Ferrets are about 45 cm (18 inches) long, with a furry 15 cm (6 inch) tail, and they weigh roughly 1 kg (2 pounds). Like most members of the family, they are very low to the ground with an elongated body and very short legs. Their fur is white at the base but darkens at the tips, making them appear yellowish-brown overall, with black feet and tail-tip, and a distinctive black face mask. These blend in well with the prairie ecosystem in which they live in. They do not change their habitat over the seasons.

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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.

Related Topics:
1851 - John James Audubon - John Bachman

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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 700 prairie dogs each year and cannot survive without access to large colonies of them.

Related Topics:
Nocturnal - Prairie dog

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