Black-Footed Ferret

Black-Footed Ferret, slim, short-legged mammal native to the short-grass prairies of western North America. This small member of the weasel family is the rarest mammal in North America.

Historically, the black-footed ferret inhabited the Great Plains from Texas to south central Canada, but it now lives almost entirely in captivity. Its natural habitat is dry, short-grass prairies where prairie dogs are abundant.

With its yellow-buff colored body and dark brown or black face, black-tipped tail, and black legs, the black-footed ferret is perfectly camouflaged in its native environment. The forehead, muzzle, and throat are nearly white. Its black mask has earned it the nickname "bandit of the prairie." Adult males reach 45 to 60 cm (18 to 24 in) in length and weigh up to 1 kg (about 2 lb). Females are about 10 percent shorter than males. Individuals live an estimated two or three years in the wild.

Black-footed ferrets depend almost entirely on prairie dogs as prey, although they occasionally feed on mice, ground squirrels, snakes, and ground-nesting birds. They cannot survive for long periods without prairie dogs, who supply not only food but also shelter. Ferrets modify prairie dog burrows by enlarging the entrances and constructing chambers and connecting tunnels. Individual ferrets tend to stay with one colony of prairie dogs, killing only enough to eat. Ferrets are active at night, feeding primarily at dusk and dawn. Their natural predators include owls, eagles, hawks, coyotes, badgers, and bobcats.

Black-footed ferrets are solitary except during the breeding season in March and early April. Females give birth in May or June about 45 days after mating. The average litter size is three but can range from one to six. The mother alone cares for the blind and helpless newborns until they leave the burrow in October. The young reach sexual maturity before the age of one year.

The widespread conversion of native prairies to agricultural land and the eradication of prairie dogs have caused severe declines in black-footed ferret populations. The declines were so severe that the black-footed ferret was thought to be extinct until a small colony was discovered in Wyoming in 1981. These ferrets were moved into captivity when an outbreak of canine distemper threatened the colony. Since then they have been successfully bred in captivity and are gradually being reintroduced to areas with healthy prairie dog populations.

Scientific classification: The black-footed ferret is a member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, in the order Carnivora. It is classified as Mustela nigripes.

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