Black-Footed Ferret
Mustela nigripes
The endangered black-footed ferret is a member of the weasel family. It is the only ferret native to North America (the domestic ferret is a different species of European origin and has been domesticated for hundreds of years), and has a tan body with black legs and feet, a black tip on the tail and a black mask. It has short legs with large front paws and claws developed for digging. Its large skull and strong jaw and teeth are adapted for eating meat.
24 Ferrets Go Wild!
Twenty-four endangered black-footed ferret kits raised in captivity were recently released into the wild,
beginning the restoration of a vibrant part of Kansas’ wildlife
heritage that has been missing for fifty years.
Press release
Slide show
Height 6 inches
Length 18-24 inches (including a 5-6 inch tail)
Weight
1.5-2.5 lbs; males slightly larger than females
Lifespan 3-4 years in the wild; 8-9 years in captivity
Diet
Staples prairie dogs make up 90% of a ferret's diet. A ferret may eat
over 100 prairie dogs in one year.
Known to eat ground squirrels, small
rodents, rabbits and birds
Population
Black-footed ferrets once numbered in the tens of thousands, but widespread destruction of their habitat and exotic diseases in the 1900s brought them to the brink of extinction. Only 18 remained in 1986. Today, they are making a comeback, with approximately 700 black-footed ferrets in the wild, and another 250 living in captive breeding facilities.
Range
Black-footed ferrets were once found on black-tailed prairie dog colonies across the Great Plains from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and on white-tailed and Gunnison’s prairie dog colonies across the intermountain west. By 1986 they were completely gone from the wild. Today, they have been reintroduced to 11 locations within their former range in Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Chihuahua, Mexico.
Behavior
Black-footed ferrets eat, sleep and raise their young in prairie dog burrows, and spend about 90% of their time underground. They sleep during the day and hunt prairie dogs at night.
A healthy population of black-footed ferrets requires very large prairie dog colonies. Scientists estimate that more than 10,000 acres of prairie dog colonies are required, and results from the 11 reintroduction sites show that it may actually take more than 20,000 acres.
Reproduction
Mating Season March-April.
Gestation 41-43 days.
Kits are born in May-June.
Litter size 3-4 kits average; ranges from 1-7
kits.
Kits are born blind and helpless and stay below ground until they are
about 2 months old. At this age, the female begins to take her young on hunting
forays and separates the kits into different burrows. By October, the young are
completely independent and will disperse to their own territories.
Threats
Because black-footed ferrets live in prairie dog burrows and eat prairie dogs, they are completely dependent upon large prairie dog colonies for survival. But prairie dog colonies have been reduced to less than 5% of the area they originally occupied due to habitat destruction, poisoning, shooting, and exotic disease (sylvatic plague). The remaining prairie dog colonies are small and fragmented, separated by great expanses of cropland and human development. Prairie dog colony losses continue today due to all of these threats.
Legal Status/Protection
*Endangered Species Act (Black-footed ferret, Mustela nigripes) **CITES Appendix I
*The Endangered Species Act requires the US federal government to identify species threatened with extinction, identify habitat they need to survive, and help protect both. In doing so, the Act works to ensure the basic health of our natural ecosystems and protect the legacy of conservation we leave to our children and grandchildren.
**Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international treaty with 172 member countries. Appendix I listed species cannot be traded commercially. Appendix II listed species can be traded commercially only if it does not harm their survival.
How You Can Help
- Help black-footed ferrets and other wildlife by adopting an animal at our Wildlife Adoption Center.
- Take Action for Wildlife at our Wildlife Action Center.
For additional information
Visit Defenders' Imperiled Species: Black-Footed Ferret pages for more information about what Defenders is doing to help.
Black-footed Ferret Recovery Program
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
