Among the endangered species of the mustelid family included in the Red Book of North America is the American black-footed ferret, which was practically exterminated in Canadian territory and began to restore its quantitative composition since 1980 through artificial breeding.

The appearance of the American black-footed ferret resembles a marten:

• the animal has a body stretched 45 cm in length on short legs with a long neck and a fluffy tail 15 cm long, a small head;
• the fur is light in color at the very base and darkens towards the tips of the villi,
• the muzzle is decorated with a black mask, which stands out in contrast against a light background, but hides the animal well in its natural habitat,
• in the overall mass of creamy yellow color, black legs, the abdominal area and the tip of the tail are clearly visible.

The weight of the American black-footed ferret does not exceed 1 kg. If you look at the photo of the black-footed ferret, you can note its close resemblance to the steppe representative. Today, through the efforts of scientists, the population of the American ferret has been brought to more than 600 individuals, but the Red Book still does not cross it out from its pages.

Lifestyle

The American ferret can only be found in North America. Animals raised in artificial conditions are released into the wild. The black-footed ferret can live in lowlands and mid-height grasses, but is also capable of climbing 3 km above sea level into the mountains.

American ferret is a predator that is nocturnal. Endowed by nature with an excellent sense of smell and excellent hearing, ferrets perfectly navigate in the dark and hunt without light. Skillfully using its flexible and thin body, the polecat is able to quickly penetrate rodent burrows, coping with its prey and occupying its home for the near future.

Bred in national parks and zoos, black-footed hori live in the American states of Montana, South Dakota, Colorado and Arizona. They are also found in Mexico.

By nature, the black-footed ferret is a solitary animal. He does not strive to join the flock, only at the onset of the mating season he selects a mate, but does not show much aggression when relatives appear next to him in the inhabited territory.

Nutrition

The main diet for the American black-footed ferret is small animals, including:

• rodents,
• large insects,
• small birds.

Among rodents, the main targets for prey are ground squirrels or prairie dogs, of which each family of American ferrets is ready to eat up to 250 individuals per calendar year, so often colonies of polecats settle in rodent habitats. For adequate nutrition, one animal requires on average up to 100 prairie dogs per year.

In search of food, American choruses are able to run up to 10 km per night, reaching speeds of up to 10-11 km/h. They usually move spasmodically.

The development of land by farms and the extermination of mouse-like rodents has become one of the reasons for a significant decline in the population of American black-footed polecats, for which they are the main source of food.

Reproduction

For the American black-footed ferret, sexual maturity begins at 12 months of age, with an average lifespan of 4 years. If kept under human care in captivity, the American ferret can live up to 9 years.

If a male usually needs about 45 hectares of territory to obtain food, then a female with offspring requires at least 55 to survive. Very often, the trajectories of males intersect with the ranges of not one, but several females.

When mating season approaches, female American black-footed ferrets actively pursue males.

The rutting season for the American black-footed ferret begins in the spring, in March or April. In contrast to the fertility of the steppe ferret, the litter of an American representative usually contains no more than 5-6 cubs, which the female ferret carries for 35-45 days.

Newborn chicks stay with their mother in the burrow for about 1.5 months. When offspring appear in the summer, the female remains with the cubs in the burrows, and when autumn comes, when the grown-up ferrets become independent, the family separates and the animals scatter.

Black-footed ferret, Black-footed Ferret: Mustela nigripes Audubon & Bachman, 1851. Other names: American black-footed ferret

Range: The original range of the black-footed weasel occupied the eastern and southern regions of the Rocky Mountains, the Great Plains from Alberta and Saskatchewan to Texas and Arizona (USA).

The American black-footed ferret has a long neck and a slender, wiry body, with very short legs.

Color: The smooth fur of the black-footed ferret is yellowish in color; There are black spots on her face, the tip of her tail and its legs are also black.

The American [black-footed] ferret is 46 - 60 cm in length, including 13 - 15 cm in length fluffy tail. Weight: It weighs 0.7 - 1.1 kg, with males weighing slightly more than females.

Life Span: Ferrets typically live about 3 - 4 years in the wild (the oldest lived at least 8 years) and 8 - 9 years in captivity (the oldest was at least 11 years old).

Voice: The American black-footed ferret is a very vocal animal. He screams loudly when disturbed, scared or excited. In such a situation, he makes several loud cries, interrupted by low hissing notes. Male black-footed ferrets "giggle" when interacting with a female during the rutting season, and the cubs make very quiet squeaking sounds.

Habitat: The American black-footed ferret is typically found in prairies with low to mid-height grass cover, in association with prairie dogs.

Like other weasels and ferrets, the black-footed ferret easily moves across an area in search of its prey, climbing through treeless spaces even high into the mountains. Some individuals were found at an altitude of 3000 m above sea level, and another animal was found drowned in Morena Lake, Colorado [USA], located at an altitude of 3125 m.

The North American prairie is one of the most endangered ecosystems on earth - perhaps even more endangered than the South American rainforest or the old-growth forests of the American Northwest. The prairie plains of North America began to form about 20 million years ago, but in some areas, up to 99 percent of the prairie has been destroyed in just the past 125 to 150 years.

The area known as the Great Plains was once the largest field on earth and covered most of the continental US along with parts of southern Canada and northern Mexico. The prairie extended from the Rocky Mountains eastward for over 800 miles, and extended over 3000 miles from north to south. The plains were created from sedimentary rocks washed out of the Rocky Mountains over millions of years, which formed silt, sand and clay. The Rockies also cut off flows humid air from Pacific Ocean, creating a drier climate on the continent that gave grasses an advantage over trees.

Enemies: Habitat loss is the primary reason why the black-footed ferret was on the brink of near extinction and why it remains a major threat to the species today. Conversion of fields and meadows to agricultural use and widespread prairie dog eradication programs have reduced black-footed ferret habitat to less than 2 percent of what previously existed. Remaining habitats are now fragmented, associated with prairie dog colonies, separated by large expanses of cropland and human structures. Diseases, including plague (affecting both black-footed ferrets and their prairie dog prey), as well as poisoning and shooting, also remain potential threats.

The American black-footed ferret is usually found on colonies of prairie dogs, which make up the absolute majority of their diet. In the wild, prairie dogs make up 90% of the black-footed ferret's diet.

The black-footed ferret also eats ground squirrels, other small rodents, rabbits and birds.

A ferret typically eats over 100 prairie dogs in one year, and from this, scientists have calculated that over 250 prairie dogs are needed to support one family of black-footed ferrets for one year.

It has been estimated that about 40 - 60 ha of prairie dog colonies are needed to support one black ferret. The black-footed ferret will typically explore an area of ​​up to 100 hectares over a 3 to 8 day period in winter.

The black-footed ferret is a secretive animal, primarily nocturnal. He has well-developed external senses: acute hearing, sensitive sense of smell and good vision.

The American black-footed ferret is extremely dependent on the prairie dog. Because it feeds primarily on prairie dogs, the black-footed ferret spends most of its life in prairie dog colonies. It spends up to 99% of its time in prairie dog burrows, usually spending only a few minutes each day on earth's surface. In burrows he sleeps, gets his food, avoids predators and bad weather, and here he breeds his young. To rest and sleep, the black-footed ferret occupies an underground burrow made by the prairie dog.

Its long, slender body allows it to easily penetrate burrows to find prey while prairie dogs are sleeping. This reduces the risk of injury to the ferret since it is attacking prey that is the same size as itself.

Males are more active than females. The black-footed ferret does not sleep in winter, but the amount of activity time decreases significantly, as does the area of ​​the surveyed territory. In winter, in cold, snowy weather, the black-footed ferret can remain inactive for long periods, up to 6 nights and days, remaining in a burrow in which it subsists on previously stored food.

When the black-footed ferret travels across the surface of the earth, it moves in a series of hops or a slow gallop. It can normally move at a speed of 8 - 11 km/h. Biologists tracked a black-footed ferret as it traveled 6 miles in one night, during which time it explored more than 100 prairie dog burrows. The distances covered by males are almost twice as large as those of females.

Social structure: The black-footed ferret leads a solitary life except during mating season, and the males apparently do not help raise and feed the young.

The black-footed ferret uses scent marks to communicate with its fellow tribesmen, using the secretion of the anal glands for this purpose. It marks its territory by applying an odorous gland secretion to rocks, soil and vegetation.

The black-footed ferret population consists of approximately 67% juveniles and 33% adults.

A study of the wild population found that the average ferret density in favorable habitats was approximately 1 animal per 50 ha of prairie dog colonies. The average distance between two prairie dog towns occupied by black-footed ferrets was 5.4 km. Adult ferrets occupy a territory with a diameter of approximately 1 - 2 km.

Reproduction: The young emerge from the burrow in July. In late summer, females increasingly leave their young in the burrow alone during the day, and gather them together at night to hunt together. Young ferrets begin to hunt on their own only in September or October, when they leave their mother and become independent and solitary.

Young males disperse over longer distances, generally up to 10 - 15 km, while young females often remain close to the maternal territory.

Breeding Season/Period: Mating usually occurs in March and April.

Puberty: Both males and females become sexually mature in the first year of life. The peak reproductive period for males and females is around three to four years of age.

Pregnancy: 41 - 45 days (about 7 weeks)

Offspring: the female brings on average 3 - 4 young, sometimes in a litter with artificial keeping there are up to 9-10 puppies. In the wild, litter size in South Dakota averaged 3.5 (range: 1 - 5); in Wyoming averaged 3.3 babies.

The black-footed ferret is a natural, effective regulator of prairie dog numbers.

The black-footed ferret is listed on the Convention's Appendix Sites as an endangered species and on Appendix II of the Agreement on International Trade (a list of species prohibited from commercial trade).

Antipathy towards prairie dogs is pronounced among some groups of the population, including ranchers and many workers Agriculture. Therefore, from the 1920s to the 1960s, the U.S. government sponsored intensive programs to eradicate the prairie dog from the Great Plains states, using poison and plowing up prairie dog populations (to prevent damage to agriculture and cattle ranching). ). For example, the area occupied by prairie dog towns in Kansas was reduced by 98.6%; the black-footed ferret was apparently an unintentional victim of the prairie dog eradication campaign. Even in the 1990s, federal agencies authorized and subsidized the annual eradication of 80,000 hectares of prairie dog colonies.

Thus, the black-footed ferret experienced a dramatic decline in numbers during the first half of the 20th century. – she hasn’t dated since 1937. In the late 1970s it was thought to have disappeared in both countries. However, in 1981, a colony of black-footed ferrets was found in Wyoming, USA.

The first group of captured ferrets all died because a number of them were infected in nature with the rabies pathogen. This led to the discovery that canine rabies was responsible for the rapid decline of the ferret population in Meeteetse. At this point, all 18 remaining ferrets were captured, vaccinated, quarantined, and sent to a breeding center. As a result of the black-footed ferret breeding program, by 1991 the captive population had increased to 311 animals and 49 animals had been released back into the wild. They now live in seven sites where the species has been reintroduced, including sites in Montana, Wyoming, Arizona, South Dakota and along the Colorado-Utah border, as well as in Chihuahua, Mexico.

In 1998, the number of black-footed ferret offspring bred at six zoos and one government breeding center for the species produced results that surpassed all previous ones, with a total of 425 born, of which 321 survived to the age of weaning.

Status and Trends: 1960s - 1994: endangered species; 1996 - 2004: extinct in the wild (IUCN 2004). Currently, the black-footed ferret is found in Canada and the United States.

Population Estimates: 1920s: Possibly approximately 800,000 individuals. 1984 - 128 individuals, in 1996 and it now controls 240 (90 males and females), 2005 - about 500 individuals. There are currently approximately one thousand black-footed ferrets in captivity.

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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 in 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 period it can remain in the 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 other small mammals are also eaten.

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 black-footed ferret is a small North American predator of the mustelidae family. American black-footed ferrets are also called black-footed ferrets. The name comes from the English "blackfooted ferret". It must be said that this animal is one of the rarest mammals in North America. IN modern times American black-footed ferrets are, unfortunately, in danger of becoming extinct. The number of American ferrets is extremely small. This is due to human development of the places where ferrets lived, as well as the fight against prairie dogs, which are the main source of food for ferrets.

The features of the black-footed ferret include a long neck, a very squat, elongated body with very short legs. Its weight is more than 1 kg. The black-footed ferret is so similar to the steppe ferret that it may only be a subspecies of it.

American black-footed ferrets are nocturnal. These animals have superbly developed senses of smell, hearing and vision. As already mentioned, American ferrets are extremely dependent on prairie dogs. Ferrets occupy their homes and also feed on these animals. The prairie dog's burrow, which is then occupied by a ferret, can reach a length of up to 300 m.

It should be noted that males lead a more active lifestyle than females. However, during cold weather, the activity of ferrets decreases significantly, and the area they survey decreases. On snowy days, the American ferret does not leave its shelter at all and feeds exclusively on its own reserves.

American ferrets move in leaps or at a slow gallop. In one night, a ferret can walk or gallop up to 10 km and reach speeds of up to 11 km/h. Males move around the area almost 2 times more than females.

Black-footed ferret color

American ferrets have white fur at the base. At the ends of the hairline their fur is somewhat darker. Thus, the overall coloration of the ferret gives a yellowish-brown color. The legs and tip of the tail are black. The American ferret, like its cousins, has a characteristic “black face” mask. This color scheme helps American ferrets to be invisible and hide from danger.

Distribution area and habitat

Black-footed ferrets live in North America. It is worth recalling that these horis are now an endangered species. They are listed in the International Red Book. Basically, these animals live in prairies (with low and medium-height grass cover). In addition, the polecat can climb high into the mountains, up to 3000 m above sea level.

Hunting and the black-footed ferret

Ferrets can mostly be found in prairie dog habitats. As mentioned earlier, prairie dogs are the main part of the black-footed ferret's diet. However, American ferrets also hunt rabbits, gophers and birds.

Enemies of the black-footed ferret

The main reason for the extinction of black-footed ferrets is habitat loss. Cultivation of fields and meadows, as well as widespread prairie dog eradication programs, have significantly reduced the habitat of American ferrets. Remains of habitats in given time associated with prairie dog colonies.

The black-footed ferret eats over 100 prairie dogs in approximately one year. Based on this data, scientists have determined that it takes over 250 prairie dogs to support one family of ferrets for a year.