American polecat, Prairie dog hunter, Black-footed ferret, American polecat, Prairie dog hunter
The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes ), also known as the American polecat or prairie dog hunter, is a species of mustelid native to central North America.
The black-footed ferret is roughly the size of a mink and is similar in appearance to the European polecat and the Asian steppe polecat. It is largely nocturnal and solitary, except when breeding or raising litters. Up to 90% of its diet is composed of prairie dogs.
The species declined throughout the 20th century, primarily as a result of decreases in prairie dog populations and sylvatic plague. It was declared extinct in 1979, but a residual wild population was discovered in Meeteetse, Wyoming in 1981. A captive-breeding program launched by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service resulted in its reintroduction into eight western US states, Canada, and Mexico from 1991 to 2009. As of 2011, over 1,000 mature, wild-born individuals are in the wild across 18 populations, with four self-sustaining populations in South Dakota (two), Arizona, and Wyoming. It was first listed as "endangered" in 1982, then listed as "extinct in the wild" in 1996 before being upgraded back to "endangered" in the IUCN Red List in 2008. In February 2021, the first successful clone of a black-footed ferret, a female named Elizabeth Ann, was introduced to the public.
No
NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Al
AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
Co
CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Vi
ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
Te
TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Po
PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
So
SolitarySo
SocialNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
B
starts withThe endangered Black-footed ferret belongs to the weasel family and is the only ferret that is native to North America. Domestic ferrets are a different species and of European origin. The Black-footed ferret was once found in the tens of thousands, however, by the 1960s they were almost extinct. Although still endangered, the species is on its way to making a comeback. Concerted efforts over the last thirty years from many federal and state agencies, Native American tribes, private landowners, zoos, and conservation organizations have assisted in the survival of Black-footed ferrets.
Once common across the Great Plains from Alberta, Canada to the southwestern USA, by 1987, the Black-footed ferret in the wild was extinct. Today, following huge conservation efforts, reintroduced populations inhabit eight western states and Chihuahua in Mexico. However, of these, only three: one in Wyoming and two in South Dakota, are considered self-sustaining. These animals are found in the middle or short grass prairies and rolling hills in North America.
This species is active mostly at night, peak hours being around dusk. Ferrets reduce their level of activity in winter, sometimes staying underground for as long as a week. They are a subterranean species that uses abandoned prairie dog burrows for shelter and travel. Black-footed ferrets are solitary, except in the breeding season, with no male participation in raising the young. They are territorial, actively defending their territories against other same-gender competitors. These mammals are considered to be alert, agile, and curious, with a keen sense of sight, hearing and smell. Olfactory communication (defecation and urination) is used to maintain their hierarchies of dominance and to assist in retracing tracks when traveling at night. These are vocal animals that in the wild hiss and chatter when scared or frightened.
Black-footed ferrets are carnivores, they mostly eat prairie dogs, also sometimes mice, ground squirrels, or other small animals.
Black-footed ferrets are thought to be polygynous, based on information collected from skewed sex ratios, sexual dimorphism and home range sizes. This means that one male mates with multiple females. The breeding season usually is during March and April. This species exhibits "delayed implantation," where a fertilized egg does not begin to develop until conditions are right for gestation, the period of gestation lasting 35-45 days. Litters number 1-6 young, the average size being 3-4. Young remain in their burrows for about 6 weeks (42 days) before coming above ground. In July and August (the summer months) females and their offspring stay together; in the autumn they separate, the young ferrets having reached their independence. They become mature when they are one year old.
The Black-footed ferret population fell drastically in the earlier half of the 20th century, mainly due to habitat loss. Currently, habitat loss and introduced disease are key threats to this species. The ferrets are entirely dependent on prairie colonies for shelter, food, and raising young. Without sufficient reintroduction sites and protection against plague, recovery for this species remains difficult.
According to the Defenders of Wildlife resource, there are approximately 300 Black-footed ferrets in total living in the wild, and another 300 ferrets living in captive breeding facilities as of 2016. According to the IUCN Red List, the total Black-footed ferret population size is approximately 500 wild-living (released or wild born) individuals exist in populations in several US states and Mexico. Of these, 206 mature individuals occur in self-sustaining free-living populations. Overall, currently Black-footed ferrets are classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List and their numbers today are decreasing.
Black-footed ferrets are important members of the ecosystem, both as predators, mainly of prairie dogs, thus controlling their populations, and as prey for their natural predators.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...