Order - Carnivores / Suborder - Canidae / Family - Mustelidae / Subfamily - Mustelidae

History of the study

The American ferret, or black-footed ferret (lat. Mustela nigripes) is a small North American predator, close relative Russian steppe ferret and other representatives of the mustelid family. By 1937, the black-footed ferret was completely exterminated in Canada, and since 1967 it has been included in the Red Book. North America like an endangered species. In the mid-1980s, the last known wild population of ferrets was captured and transported to a research facility to artificial breeding. Now the release of the black-footed ferret into its former habitat in the United States is being called a "surprising comeback."

Spreading

The habitat of the American ferret is the eastern and southern regions of the Rocky Mountains, the territory of the Great Plains from Alberta and Saskatchewan to Texas and Arizona (USA).

Appearance

The black-footed ferret is approximately 45 cm in length, with a bushy 15 cm tail, and weighs more than 1 kg. Like most members of this family, Mustela nigripes have a squat, elongated body with very short legs. Their fur, white at the base, becomes darker at the ends of the hairline and gives the overall yellowish-brown color of the animal. The legs and end of the tail are black, and the black-footed ferret also has the “black face” mask characteristic of many ferrets. This color scheme helps ferrets be invisible in their habitat.

Lifestyle

The American black-footed ferret's habitat is prairie (low to mid-height grass cover). It rises through treeless spaces high into the mountains (up to 3000 m above sea level).

Leads night image life. Hearing, vision and sense of smell are well developed. The species is extremely dependent on prairie dogs. He spends almost all of his time (up to 99%) in their burrows. In the area of ​​these colonies, he rests and sleeps, immediately obtains food for himself, avoids predators, bad weather and feeds the offspring.

Males are more active than females. IN winter period The activity of black-footed ferrets decreases, as does the area of ​​the surveyed territory. On cold and snowy days it remains in the hole, feeding on its reserves.
On the ground it moves in leaps or slow gallops (up to 8-11 km/h). In one night it can cover up to 10 km. Males travel a greater distance (almost twice) than females.

Except for the breeding season, it leads a solitary lifestyle. To communicate with relatives, it uses scent marks. The boundaries of its territory are marked with secretions from the anal glands. In favorable years, the population density is one ferret per 50 hectares of prairie dog colonies. The territory of adult ferrets is (in diameter) 1-2 km.

Reproduction

The male does not participate in raising the offspring. The breeding season is March-April. Puberty occurs in the first year of life. Reproductive age up to 3-4 years. Pregnancy lasts 41-45 days. Young males disperse from their native nest over considerable distances (10-15 km), while females remain close to their mother.

The female gives birth to 3-4 puppies (on average). As the cubs grow older, the female leaves them alone in the nest during the day while she hunts. Young people begin to hunt on their own in September-October.

Nutrition

Black-footed ferrets can be found on prairie dog colonies, which make up the bulk of their diet (up to 90%). Whenever possible, it eats ground squirrels, American rabbit rabbits and birds. In a year, one individual eats more than 100 prairie dogs, and one ferret family needs more than 250 dogs.

Number

U.S. federal and state agencies, in collaboration with private landowners, are working to conserve the black-footed ferret in wildlife through the release of ferrets bred in captivity, zoos and scientific zoological centers in their natural environment habitat. The release locations were Montana, South Dakota, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Chiufua Mexico.

In 1981, a small population of 130 animals was discovered near Meeteetse, Wyoming. Immediately after the opening of this ferret settlement, more than half of the ferrets died due to disease. It was decided to save the fate of black-footed ferrets to capture 18 individuals of different sexes and place them on the territory of the scientific and zoological center.

According to information about the status of the black-footed ferret in 2007, its number exceeds 600 units in the United States. Although it is still considered an endangered species according to the old assessment of 1996, since at that time ferrets lived only in captivity by a group of specialists.

The plan to restore the ferret to its native habitat aims to establish 10 or more separate, self-sustaining wild populations as its ultimate goal. Biologists hope to have 1,500 free-ranging black-footed ferrets by 2010, with at least 30 breeding adults in each population.

Search the site

Let's get acquainted

Kingdom: Animals


Read all articles
Kingdom: Animals

American or Black-footed ferret

The American ferret, or black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), is a species of mustelid native to central North America.

The American ferret was first discovered and described in 1851, but due to the decline in prairie dog numbers throughout the 20th century, the ferret population steadily declined and was declared extinct in 1979. Only by the mid-1980s was it possible to discover the last wild population of these animals, which were captured and transported to the territory of the research base for breeding. It is now listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The black-footed ferret is approximately the size of a mink, and differs from the European ferret in the greater contrast between dark limbs and light body; as well as a shorter black tip of the tail. But the difference between the American and steppe ferret is not so pronounced. The only noticeable difference between these species is the shorter and coarser coat and larger ears of the “American”.

The black-footed ferret has a very long body and a blunt head shape. The forehead is wide, the muzzle is short, the neck is long. Short and thick paws are covered with hair, the fingers are armed with sharp, slightly curved claws. Like many other ferrets, the American one wears a black mask around its eyes. The main color of the animal is pale yellow; on the forehead and neck there are sometimes hairs with a black tip, which makes the color a little dirty. Body length is from 31 to 41 cm, tail length is 11 – 15 cm. Males weigh on average just over 1 kg, females are about 10% inferior to them in weight.

This species is solitary, except for the breeding season and the period of raising offspring. American ferrets are nocturnal, spending daylight hours in prairie dog burrows. Above ground they are most active from sunset to midnight, and from 4 a.m. to mid-morning. Ground activity is more active in late summer and early autumn, when the young become independent. Climate does not generally limit the activity of the black-footed ferret, but in winter it can remain in a burrow for up to 6 days.

More than 90 percent of the diet consists of prairie dogs (gophers), which are attacked while they sleep in their burrows. But depending on the habitat, large insects, mountain waders, horned larks, mountain hares, mice, voles and others small mammals, are also used as food.

Female American ferrets have a smaller home range than males. A male's territory may sometimes include the habitats of several females. The adult female usually occupies the same territory year after year.

The breeding season lasts from February to March. When a male and a female in heat encounter each other, the male will groom his partner and sniff her genital area for several hours, which is a contrast to the more abrupt and faster behavior seen in male European ferrets.

The female makes a den for the birth of offspring in the burrows of prairie dogs. Between May and June, puppies are born blind and helpless, and covered with fine white hair. Litter size ranges from 1 to 5 pups.

The entire process of raising offspring falls entirely on the shoulders of the mother. After 6 weeks, the cubs leave the hole for the first time and begin to get acquainted with the outside world. The young reach adult weight and become independent a few months after birth, from late August to October. Puberty occurs at the age of one year.

The American, or as it is otherwise called, the black-footed ferret, belongs to the predatory representatives of the weasel family. One of the features that distinguishes it from its other ferret relatives is its short body length and light weight. That is, with a weight of one kilogram, or even less, this individual rarely exceeds 45 cm in length.

Description of appearance

The coat color is usually yellow-brown and darker on the back, and the tip of the tail and paws are black. Interesting fact that by 1937 of the last century, this subspecies of ferrets was almost completely destroyed in Canada. But, starting in 1980, its numbers began to gradually recover through artificial breeding. After which, bred in specially created conditions, the individuals were gradually returned to their former habitat. Despite the fact that today the number of trochees has increased significantly, it still, since 1967, continues to be listed in the Red Book of North America as an endangered species.

Habitat

The American ferret is native to North America, where they live on the great plains. The ferret is awake and hunts only in the dark. But the lack of light does not in any way prevent him from getting food for himself, because ferrets have well-developed organs of hearing and smell. And its miniature size makes it easy to penetrate even the narrowest holes to catch small rodents. But ferrets sleep in a “dead” sleep in order to recover from the excitement and stress that the animal usually experiences during a hunt. This is where the expression comes from - to sleep “like a ferret.” Besides, interesting feature American ferrets are that after entering the hole of their prey and capturing it, the former leave this hole behind them for permanent or temporary residence.

Females are less active than males. And in winter time and their activity is completely reduced compared to in summer. They begin to hunt less due to the difficulties of moving on snow cover, and more often prefer to stay in burrows, feeding exclusively on their own supplies.

Ferrets are loners. They lead an isolated lifestyle and have virtually no contact with their relatives, with the exception, probably, of the “mating” period.

What do they eat?

Typically, on average, a ferret consumes 50 to 70 grams of meat per day. At the same time, the diet of American ferrets most often consists of rodents, less often - small birds and insects. But their main delicacy is gophers, or as they are commonly called in those parts - prairie dogs. To get enough food, one ferret needs to eat about 250 gophers a year. The typical colony of prairie dogs itself lives on an area equal to approximately 50 hectares of steppe terrain.

In the middle of the last century, mass poisoning and extermination of dogs began in the United States in connection with the development of land by local farmers. Which was the main reason for the active extinction of ferrets. After all, the latter were actually left without food.

Living and breeding conditions

At the beginning of spring, individuals of this species, as a rule, begin the breeding season. After which, after about 1.5 months, cubs are born, the number of which rarely exceeds 5 pieces. This feature is characteristic exclusively of American ferrets, unlike their forest and steppe relatives, whose litter can exceed 8 puppies.

In the wild, animals do not live long - up to about 4 years. What cannot be said about their relatives raised in captivity - their life expectancy can reach as much as 9 years. Whereas they reach sexual maturity by the age of one year.

Appearance

American ferret, like most of the mustelid family, has an elongated body on thin short legs and an elongated muzzle. And a 15-centimeter fluffy tail. They have an intricate color: yellowish-brown at the ends, turning white closer to the roots, and the paws and tip of the tail are black. Also, black fur frames the eyes, reminiscent of “glasses”, which serve as additional camouflage. Males are larger than females. Like skunks, ferrets can release bad smell, although it is not as sharp as that of skunks.

Measures for protection and reproduction

Federal and state agencies of the United States, together with private farmers, are helping the black-footed ferret not to disappear from the face of the earth. They spend everything possible actions on their breeding and introduction into the wild environment.

This set of measures began to be carried out in the 80s of the last century, with the advent of the threat of complete extinction of American ferrets in nature. It was then that zoological scientists decided to increase their population by breeding in captivity and further accustoming them to life in natural conditions, and only after which returning them back to the wild. This experiment bore fruit, and by 2007 the number of individuals exceeded 600 units, while only 18 units of animals of different sexes were taken for breeding in the conditions of the scientific and zoological center. As of 2013, approximately 1,200 individuals were known to live in the wild. But still still this type remains listed in the Red Book. Therefore, to this day, work is underway to further increase the number of ferrets until they can exist independently and survive in the wild.

For the people themselves, in this case farmers, ferrets provide a benefit by eating harmful prairie dogs, thereby helping to control their population. The latter are especially dangerous for livestock because they are carriers of various infections, one of which is bubonic plague. So is the harm - a large number of holes and tunnel systems belonging to ferrets and dogs often cause injuries to livestock that continually fall into them.

Kira Stoletova

The Red Book is complete various types animals that are on the verge of extinction or have disappeared completely. Among them is the American Black-footed Ferret. This animal belongs to the mustelid family and, due to the fault of poachers, has practically disappeared from the mainland. Thanks to the efforts of livestock breeders and local historians, Black-footed ferrets are gradually restoring their population.

This is a very unusual animal both in color and habits. Its habitat and historical homeland is North America, where they are now actively grown. After they were included in the Red Book, they began to actively protect them, and now any hunt for these animals is strictly punishable by law.

Description of American Blackfoot ferrets

The description of this type of trochee is worth special attention, because this breed has remarkable appearance features.

Distinctive features of Black-footed ferrets:

• The ferret has a long, elongated body and neck, short and thick legs.
• The fur color of such animals is yellow-brown, darker on the back, and generally turns black toward the tail and paws (hence the name Black-footed Ferret).
• A distinctive feature of this particular breed of trochees is the so-called mask around the eyes (the color of the fur around the eyes of such animals is black).
• This type of trochee has large, rounded eyes that stand out on a white muzzle, where a black nose is also visible.
• The shape of the claws is pointed and slightly curved.
• The average weight of a female ranges from 650 to 850 g, while a male can reach a weight of 1200 g.
• According to average indicators, the body length of the described trochees is 350-600 cm, and according to statistics, females are always 10% smaller than the male representatives of this breed.

So expressive appearance leaves almost no one indifferent, which is why the skins of such animals are highly valued by hunters, although it is important to remember that now the Red Book contains the name American Black-footed Ferret, which automatically prohibits any activity aimed at depopulating the species.

American Black-footed Crochet can be seen in nature reserves in North America. Or, if there is no opportunity to visit another continent, anyone can easily admire photos of the Black-footed ferret on the Internet.

Habitat

The black-footed ferret is an animal that was quite common until the beginning of the last century. The historical range of the animals is the territory stretching from the south of Canada to the north of Mexico. For North America, this species is the only indigenous representative. Today, tourists can observe the described ferrets only in 3 territorial limits in the northeast of Montana, in the western part of South Dakota and in the southeast of the state. Wyoming. Besides places natural habitat people can also see how the American ferret behaves in a zoo or nature reserve. In places of natural settlement, the population was restored. The restoration continues to this day.

Knowing the range of these animals, it is quite easy to guess about their living conditions:

• Steppe and hilly terrain in the vastness of North America.
• a haven for American trochees Often an abandoned hole left by a prairie dog becomes abandoned (in such holes it is easier for animals to make tunnels and hide from hunting).
• To obtain food, one representative of this breed, on average, requires quite a lot of space: within 40-45 hectares.
• Females with offspring require even more space to survive: up to 55 hectares.
• One male can introduce several females into the habitat at once.

The black-footed ferret is a freedom-loving creature that requires a large amount of free space for normal existence. Such animals do not tolerate restrictions and even in zoos they always receive a larger territory.

No less interesting is the life of such animals: the lifestyle they lead should be given special attention. The relationship to the mustelid family left its mark on the habits and habits of polecats.

Lifestyle and nutrition

The American ferret is predominantly nocturnal. This is a predatory animal whose activity occurs at night. Having a good sense of smell and even more acute hearing, representatives of this breed can easily navigate without sunlight. Their black coat allows them to remain less noticeable.

During the hunt, representatives of this species climb into the burrows of their victims (small rodents), where they deal with the prey, and then settle for a while. They are fast and agile, thanks to the structure of their body.

The black-footed ferret is a solitary animal. He does not try to get into the flock and only creates a pair during the breeding season.

With all these qualities, the American ferret is a friendly animal and non-aggressive towards representatives of its species.

The diet for such animals consists of large quantity options:

• small rodents hiding in holes;
• large insects;
• small birds, etc.

These animals, cute at first glance, are still predators. According to statistics from livestock farmers, one black-footed ferret consumes about 100 prairie dogs during the year. In reserves they are specially fed, and the cubs are given milk. In the 80s of the last century, all animals kept in captivity were released into free environment habitat to restore the population and save the species from extinction.

Conclusion

The American ferret is a rare animal, but beautiful and unusual. The fact that it is included in the Red Book only gives this breed an aura of mystery and makes it even more interesting for others and tourists.

Black-footed ferret

15x4 - 15 minutes about the resurrection of species

Which Bear Is Best?

If possible, then it is definitely worth observing such ferrets, because, in addition to all external indicators, they are unusually cute, and their black fur remains forever in the memory of observers.