Interesting Facts About the Black Footed Ferret

The scientific name for the black-footed ferret is Mustela nigripes, according to Thinkquest.org. Black-footed ferrets have a buckskin tan color, according to the University of Texas. The breast and stomach of this animal are light tan to a cream color. They have a black face mask, black-tipped tail, black back and black legs.

  1. Geography

    • Black-footed ferrets are commonly found in Wyoming and surrounding states, according to Thinkquest.org. Other states in which the black-footed ferret has been found include Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas, Nebraska, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Utah. At one point the black-footed ferret was thought to be extinct until a small group of them was found in Wyoming. Black-footed ferrets were also found in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. It was estimated that the black-footed ferret occupied over 100 million acres in the early 1900s, according to the University of Texas.

    Warning

    • Reasons for the decline of the black-footed ferret include conversion of rangeland to cropland, elimination of prairie dog towns, urban development and new introduced diseases such as sylvatic plague, according to the University of Texas.

    Solution

    • State and federal agencies have begun to introduce black-footed ferrets to the wild, according to the University of Texas. Wyoming is the main state where this is taking place. Captive black-footed ferrets are being studied to further understand how black-footed ferrets mate and reproduce.

    Characteristics

    • Black-footed ferrets like to eat prairie dogs and other small critters, according to Thinkquest.org. Approximately 90 percent of the black footed ferrets diet is prairie dogs, according to the University of Texas. However, they also eat critters like rabbits, mice, voles, ground squirrels, pocket gophers, birds and insects.

      Ferrets do not hibernate and are typically solitary during the fall and winter. Captive ferrets have a gestation period that ranges from 41 to 45 days. Females typically care for their young on their own without the help of the male. Young ferrets will make their first appearance above ground in July. Young ferrets will then create their own burrows by August.

    Size

    • Black-footed ferrets can grow to lengths of up to 60 centimeters, according to Thinkquest.org. These ferrets can weigh up to 2.5 pounds. Their tails account for approximately one fourth of the length of their body, according to the University of Texas.