 The
black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is one of the most endangered mammals in North
America. It is a member of a large group of mammals known as mustelids, or
musk-producing animals. Sixty-four species of mustelids live throughout the
world (except on the continents of Australia and Antarctica) and range in size
from the least weasel, which weighs barely 1-2 ounces, to the sea otter, which
may weigh over 100 pounds. Most mustelids have long bodies and short legs,
well-developed claws, short, rounded ears, and scent glands under the tail.
Their large skulls and strong jaws and teeth are adapted for eating meat. Some
well-known members of the mustelid family include mink, skunks, badgers,
martens, fishers, weasels, stoats, polecats, wolverines, and the European, or
domestic ferret, sold in pet stores.
The black-footed ferret is 18 to 24
inches long, including a 5 to 6 inch tail. It weighs only one-and-a-half to
two-and-a-half pounds, with males slightly larger than females. The
black-footed ferret is well adapted to its prairie environment. Its color and
markings blend so well with grassland soils and plants, that it is hard to
detect until it moves. It is a slender, wiry animal with a black face mask,
black feet, and a black-tipped tail. The rest of its short, sleek fur is a
yellow-buff color, lighter on the belly and nearly white on the forehead,
muzzle, and throat. It has short legs with large front paws and claws developed
for digging. The ferret's large ears and eyes suggest it has acute hearing and
sight, but smell is probably its most important sense for hunting prey
underground in the dark. |
 Loss of habitat is the primary reason
black-footed ferrets remain near the brink of extinction. Conversion of
grasslands to agricultural uses, widespread prairie dog eradication programs
and plague have reduced ferret habitat to less than 2 percent of what once
existed. Remaining habitat is now fragmented, with prairie dog towns separated
by great expanses of cropland and human development. Many other sensitive
species such as burrowing owls, mountain plovers, golden eagles, swift fox, and
ferruginous hawks are strongly linked to this habitat for their survival. Many
of these species are following the ferret's fate, and may soon require further
conservation efforts to ensure their survival. |
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