# data[].attributes.body
This video is talking about how they take the black footed ferrets, give them shots/checkups, and mark them so other people will know they have been checked.

# data[].attributes.body
This video shows people taking the endangered ferrets and keep them trained for the wild life while keeping both genders apart and at the right time breeding them. Then they put them in natural habitats and let them, attack and make sure they can stroll get prey. After all that they put them back where they belong.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a ferret inside an abandoned  prairie dog tunnel. This is where they spend most of they’re life sleeping, eating, and raising children.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a picture of a Black-footed ferret in a zoo. There are currently 300 black footed ferrets in captivity.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a baby black footed ferret. They are born pink and blind and they stay with their mothers until October where they leave home to go find someone else.

# data[].attributes.body
This is an image of an Black-footed ferret attacking a prairie dog, it’s main food source and prey.

# data[].attributes.body
Kits (babies) are born during the months of May and June. Kits are born pink, hairless and blind — leaving them completely dependent on the mother. At 35 days of age, kits open their eyes.Kits remain underground for two months, emerging above ground at about 70 days of age. The mothers move the black-footed ferret kits from burrow to burrow and also teach them how to hunt. At just 90 days of age, kits are almost adult size and are able to hunt and kill their own prey. Kits are completely independent and go off to find their own territories by October.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Rebecca Stout

The black-footed ferret has a long, long history of being one of the most mysterious and elusive mammals in North America, its native range. And it's no wonder, given the fact that this beautiful and clever creature only lives in remote prairie lands and rarely makes an appearance above ground. When he does pop his tiny masked face up to take a peek around, it is only for short periods of time and usually in the dead of night. While above ground, he darts burrow to burrow with staggering speed to hunt his prey that also lives underground - the prairie dog.

This tiny but ferocious animal is also adorable and charming, and he has a comical side that has long captured the curiosity of humans. Our curiosity was just beginning to get satisfied due to the hard work of many wildlife experts when these little gems of the prairie disappeared into what we thought was extinction - not once, but twice. Miraculously we got another chance to save this wonderful animal that is so crucial to the health of our grasslands. We are now able to enjoy and fully appreciate the black-footed ferret due to the determination and collaborative efforts on the part of a wide variety of organizations, agencies, scholars, scientists, businesses, and concerned citizens. Make no mistake, the struggle of the black-footed ferret remains critical, but marked success in reviving populations in the wild give us every reason to expect continued success as long as recovery efforts continue.

Black-Footed Ferret Day is September 26! You can ready yourself for the big day by reading this fact list that might help you to fall in love with these wonderful and much-needed animals who dance across our prairies. If the love bug already has bitten you, then enjoy this ever-growing list.

Facts About Black-Footed Ferret Physical Appearance/Anatomy

1. Life on the prairie is very difficult for the black-footed ferret and they typically live for only 1 to 3 years in the wild as compared to 4 to 9 years in captivity. However, the National Parks Conservation Association reports that it is possible for them to live up to 12 years in captivity!

2. This tiny animal weighs in at 1.5 to 2.5 pounds and is 18 to 24 inches long, with males being larger than females. Their cute bushy tail is 5 to 6 inches long. But don't be fooled by their size, the feisty black-footed ferret is a fierce hunter.

3. The coloration of the black-footed ferret features a pale yellow to tan body with a lighter colored stomach. In striking contrast, they have black legs, a black-tipped tail, a cute black mask, a black nose and, of course, black feet. An almost white forehead, muzzle and throat highlight their body of sleek, short fur.

4. The black-footed ferret's body is long with a long neck. They have short and stout legs, long whiskers and are equipped with sharp claws for digging, all of which enables them to easily navigate through underground prairie dog tunnels.

5. Although the black-footed ferret has keen senses, they use the sense of smell the most for hunting prey in the dark and underground.

6. Their little hearts beat at an average of 265 beats per minute. That's more than double the normal human heart rate, which averages 60 to 100 beats per minute.

7. Although their eyes are black by day, they shine a brilliant green at night when a light is shone on them due to a special reflective surface behind the retina called the tapetum lucidum. The amount of pigment and other substances in their eyes give it that unique emerald green color. And that sheen has a very important purpose; it helps them to see at night.

Via USFWS/USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
Black-footed ferrets have a distinctive green eye shine at night when light is reflected from their eyes.

Black-Footed Ferret Scientific Classification And Names

1. Black-footed ferrets are different from other ferrets and the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program notes that they are one of only three ferret species in the world (the other two being the European polecat and the Siberian polecat).

2. These mustelids are members of the weasel family, and their scientific classification breaks down as follows:

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Mustelidae

Genus and Species: Mustela nigripes

3. A solitary lifestyle is the standard for the black-footed ferret except for breeding season; however, a group of black-footed ferrets is referred to as a business of ferrets just as is a group of domestic ferrets.

Black-Footed Ferret Ancestry And Origin

Long before man's ancestors, Homo erectus, walked the earth 1.9 million years ago, ferrets evolved from weasel-like ancestors between 3 and 4 million years ago in Europe.

It is believed that black-footed ferrets migrated from Siberia into North America across the Bering Land Bridge.

1. It has been thought that there were once tens of thousands of black-footed ferrets in the wild.

2. In 2013, it was estimated that approximately 800 black-footed ferrets were alive - 500 in the wild and 300 in captivity.

3. As of 2015, there are approximately 280 black-footed ferrets living in breeding facilities according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

4. The U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service's National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center in northeastern Colorado and partners in other states are currently managing recovery efforts for this species.

We know black-footed ferrets have existed in North America since at least 100,000 years ago. Humans were late in arriving to the party, having only been in North America 15,500 years ago based on a pre-Clovis excavation north of Austin, Texas.

1. Prairie dogs make up more than 90 percent of the diet for this carnivorous predator. Black-footed ferrets also depend on the prairie dog burrows for shelter and raising their young. Without large populations of prairie dogs, the black-footed ferret cannot survive in the wild.

2. One black-footed ferret feasts on at least one prairie dog every three days. And a black-footed ferret can eat more than 100 prairie dogs in a year.

3. They hunt for sleeping prairie dogs in their burrows at night with the aid of the mirror surface behind their eyes, large ears and keen sense of smell.

4. The black-footed ferret enters a burrow and bites the throat of a prairie dog to suffocate it.

5. Hunting is not without risk. A group of prairie dogs can attack and kill a black-footed ferret.

6. Ferrets cache (or store) their food. This reduces their exposure to other predators.

7. On occasion, black-footed ferrets have also been known to eat ground squirrels, small rodents, rabbits and birds.

The Black-Footed Ferret Population

1. What many refer to as the "masked bandits of the prairie grasslands" live in the following habitats: shortgrass prairie, mixed-grass prairie, desert grassland, shrub steppe, sagebrush steppe, mountain grassland and semi-arid grassland.

2. These little thieves steal a home from their prey. They live in prairie dog tunnels that they take over for shelter, nesting and raising their young. These tunnels can be as long as 40 feet and as deep as 14 feet.

3. Black-footed ferrets are territorial, so you may find only one ferret per 99 to 148 acres on average.

4. Males have larger territories than females.

5. This mustelid is unique in that it is the only ferret species native to North America.

6. Historically, the black-footed ferret's range spanned much of western North America's intermountain and prairie grasslands, extending from southern Canada to northern Mexico.

7. The range for black-footed ferrets is very fragmented today. As of 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service states that black-footed ferrets have been reintroduced into 24 sites across 8 states, Canada and Mexico.

The Black-Footed Ferret Diet And Hunting

1. These territorial animals live a solitary life.

2. Black-footed ferrets are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night.

3. Black-footed ferrets are fossorial, meaning they are adapted to digging and living mostly underground. The National Parks Conservation Association reports that black-footed ferrets spend up to 99 percent of their lives underground, while the Defenders of Wildlife states that it is 90 percent. Either way, that's a long time!

4. Possibly the most endearing behavior of this once-mysterious prairie dweller is his impromptu dancing on the prairie. The comical "dance" is characterized by joyous leaping, bucking, thrashing and twisting about.

5. They don't sing, but black-footed ferrets do have much to say, as they have a variety of vocalizations that can include chortling, chuckles, barks and hisses.

Black-Footed Ferret Habitat

1. Female black-footed ferrets are called jills, males are called hobs, and the young are referred to as kits.

2. Breeding season for the black-footed ferret occurs in the early spring during March and April.

3. It is believed that the black-footed ferret is polygynous. This means they do not stay with one mate for life. The males, having larger territory, often overlap with several females giving them better chances to breed.

4. By 10 months of age, black-footed ferrets are ready to breed.

5. Artificial insemination is used in captivity to increase the rates of success for producing healthy animals to release and replenish the wild population. This allows breeding of animals who cannot be paired or who have died in order to continue the species. The use of fresh and frozen-thawed semen was spearheaded by the late Dr. JoGayle Howard, a theriogenologist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Black-Footed Ferret Behavior

Black-Footed Ferret Reproduction

1. Gestation in black-footed ferrets lasts 42 days.

2. Kits (babies) are born during the months of May and June.

3. Litters average 3 to 5 kits.

4. Kits are born pink, hairless and blind - leaving them completely dependent on the mother.

5. At 35 days of age, kits open their eyes.

6. Kits remain underground for two months, emerging above ground at about 70 days of age.

7. Black-footed ferrets are raised by their mothers and stay with them until fall.

8. The mothers move the black-footed ferret kits from burrow to burrow and also teach them how to hunt.

9. At just 90 days of age, kits are almost adult size and are able to hunt and kill their own prey.

10. Kits are completely independent and go off to find their own territories by October.

Via Ryan Moehring/USFWS/USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
These captive-bred black-footed ferrets live in a conditioning pen to learn to hunt before being released into the wild.

1. Native Americans were the first humans to know about the existence of black-footed ferrets and to describe them.

2. In 1851, John James Audubon and the Reverend John Bachmann were the first people to officially describe and document the black-footed ferret species.

3. Settlers spread across North American prairies altering the landscape with agriculture and destroying prairie dog and black-footed ferret homes. By the late 1950s, black-footed ferrets were thought to be extinct.

4. A small population of wild black-footed ferrets was discovered in Mellette County, South Dakota, in 1964. These were studied between 1964 and 1974, as the population declined and died out.

5. In 1978, a Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Plan was approved by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

6. Before the Mellette County black-footed ferrets died out, biologists captured nine ferrets and attempted to start a captive breeding program. It failed, and the last surviving ferret died in 1979. The black-footed ferret was considered extinct.

7. A miraculous discovery of wild black-footed ferret existence was made on September 26, 1981 near Meeteetse, Wyoming, when John and Lucille Hogg's ranch dog, Shep, brought home a dead ferret. The couple took the carcass to taxidermist, Larry LaFranchie, who then identified it as the "extinct" black-footed ferret and called wildlife authorities.

8. Shortly after Shep's discovery, wildlife authorities spotted a live black-footed ferret near Meeteetse, Wyoming, on October 29, 1981.

9. Upon surveying the area, a small population of ferrets was found leading to the creation of the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program.

10. In 1985, biologists saw the black-footed ferret population declining. It was discovered that canine distemper virus and sylvatic plague that fleas were carrying were to blame.

11. Between the fall of 1985 and winter of 1987, 18 black-footed ferrets were captured in an effort to save the species. Those crucial 11 females and 7 males became the foundation for the successful captive breeding reintroduction program of today.

12. Reintroduction into the wild began in 1991 with 49 lucky black-footed ferrets set free in Shirley Basin, Wyoming.

13. Since the Wyoming release, reintroduction efforts have expanded to other sites in Montana, South Dakota, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, and Canada and Mexico.

Rearing Baby Black-Footed Ferrets

1. The survival of this species is completely dependent on the success of the captive breeding program over the next 100 years.

2. More than 30 federal, state, tribal and non-governmental agencies as well as universities, zoos and even land owners have been working together in a team effort since 1991 to reintroduce black-footed ferrets into the wild and to conserve the species.

3. Prairie Wildlife Research has extensive field experience with black-footed ferrets. Travis Livieri, who founded the organization in 2001, is its very passionate executive director. He is often seen with boots on the ground himself.

4. Members of Prairie Wildlife Research (PWR) and others who survey wild black-footed ferret populations, use high-powered spotlights to search the prairie dog colonies at night for black-footed ferrets. The black-footed ferret's eyes shine green in the night when the light strikes them.

5. Members of the PWR team not only survey but they monitor black-footed ferret populations. After a ferret is found by the PWR team, live traps are set to capture the animals so that they can be anesthetized in order to be monitored and given veterinary care. That care involves drawing blood for genetics and to test for disease, implanting a microchip under the skin of the neck that can be read by transponders, and giving vaccinations that protect them against deadly diseases, such as canine distemper.

6. Remarkably it only takes 20 minutes for the PWR team to perform all of the procedures required to monitor wild black-footed ferrets. After the health check is done and they collect the data they need, they release the ferret right where they caught it - at their current prairie dog home.

7. At many captive-breeding facilities, black-footed ferret kits are first prepared for living in the wild by receiving training while in captivity on how to kill prey and live in burrows.

8. In 2009, at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the first kits were born using cryo-preserved sperm taken from male black-footed ferrets in 1997 and 1998.

9. One of the original males of the 18 captured ferrets from Meeteetse, Wyoming, was named Scarface. He passed away approximately 20 years ago. In a remarkable feat, his frozen sperm was used to successfully produce offspring in 2015 at the Lincoln Park Zoo.

10. Approximately 200 captive-bred black-footed ferret kits are released to romp the prairies each year. More than 4,500 of these beautiful animals have been released into prairie dog colonies across North America since 1991.

11. New technology keeps growing and wildlife agencies are wisely taking advantage of this. As of June 2015, drones are zooming the skies above the prairies in Montana using 3D mapping software to evaluate various regions for black-footed ferret reintroduction. The goal is to increase mapping accuracy, speed up the process of their reintroduction into the wild and to save on costs as well.

12. In the past, it has taken all summer for two people to walk the prairie fields in order to collect data and map a 7,500-acre area. It only takes three days for a drone to map a 1,000-acre area.

13. Although nothing compares to humans in the field to observe black-footed ferrets, there are plans to use the drones in other ways, such as using thermal cameras on them in attempts to track these fierce hunters who love to dance.

Black-Footed Ferret Discovery, Extinction And Rediscovery

Recovery Efforts For Black-Footed Ferrets

1. Loss of habitat, loss of prey and disease are the main reasons the black-footed ferret remains critically endangered.

2. Prairie dog colonies have been reduced to less than 5 percent of the area they originally occupied, limiting where black-footed ferrets can live.

3. Much of original habitat of prairie dog and black-footed ferret colonies has been and continues to be plowed for agricultural land and human development. Very little of these native grassland areas are protected.

4. The decline of prey is also a result of widespread prairie dog eradication programs. Many people believe them to be pests, so they are poisoned or shot.

5. Fatal, non-native diseases have also contributed to the reduction of ferret habitat. Lethal sylvatic plague outbreaks have devastated the prairie dog and black-footed ferret populations in the past and are an ongoing threat.

6. World Wildlife Fund and others are trying to protect prairie dog populations from lethal sylvatic plague outbreaks by eliminating fleas that carry the plague bacterium and testing a newly developed oral bait vaccine for prairie dogs.

7. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service a study is being done on a program that was developed to dust prairie dogs against the fleas that carry the sylvatic plague.

8. Among the predators that are a threat to black-footed ferrets are golden eagles, owls, badgers, bobcats, falcons, hawks, rattlesnakes and coyotes.

Via J. Michael Lockhart/USFWS/USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
Black-footed ferrets are known to do a jumping, hopping dance.

1. Explore. Find a zoo, museum or nature center that has a black-footed ferret or prairie dog exhibit. Visit prairie habitat at a wildlife refuge, national grassland or park, state or city natural areas.

2. Learn. Research the Internet, journals, books and other resources to learn more about black-footed ferrets and the prairie ecosystem they need to survive so you are aware of their plight.

3. Educate. Introduce children to and educate them about black-footed ferrets by having them read about them, watch videos and documentaries of them, and guiding them through interactive projects or taking them to an exhibit. Reach out and share what you've learned about black-footed ferrets with other people such as family, friends, co-workers, students, teachers and your local community so that they grow to appreciate and love black-footed ferrets. Infect people with the passion to help wildlife on our prairies! Let folks know that your prairie ecosystem and black-footed ferrets are worth saving for future generations to enjoy and inspire them to help and tell them how.

4. Act. Speak up for black-footed ferrets and send a message to government leaders. Do a symbolic adoption of a black-footed ferret for yourself or gift someone (both Prairie Wildlife Research and World Wildlife Fund offer these). Follow and keep up to date on what is going on in the world of black-footed ferrets on the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center Facebook page. Contact the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center at 970-827-2730 to ask for other ways you can help.

Dangers To Black-Footed Ferrets

How To Help Black-Footed Ferrets

Where To See Black-Footed Ferrets

Some of the places that you may visit to see a black-footed ferret exhibit include: Fort Collins Museum of Discovery in Colorado, Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania, Abilene Zoo in Texas and Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By Rebecca Stout The black-footed ferret has a long, long history of being one of the most mysterious and elusive mammals in North America, its native range. And it's no wonder, given the fact that this beautiful and clever creature only lives in remote prairie lands and rarely makes an appearance above ground.

# data[].attributes.body
Black-footed ferrets once lived 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. As of 2016, black-footed ferrets have been reintroduced in multiple locations within their former range in several U.S. states, Canada and Mexico.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The endangered black-footed ferret is the only ferret native to North America-the domestic ferret is a different species of European origin. Black-footed ferrets, a member of the weasel family, once numbered in the tens of thousands, but were driven to the brink of extinction by the 1960s. Although still endangered, they are starting to make a comeback, and Defenders of Wildlife is pleased to be helping achieve this remarkable wildlife success story.

The black-footed ferret has a tan body with black legs and feet, a black tip on the tail and a black mask. The ferret 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.
Diet
make up more than 90 percent of the black-footed ferret's diet. A ferret can eat more than 100 prairie dogs in one year. Black-footed ferrets are also known to eat ground squirrels, small rodents, rabbits and birds.

A healthy population of black-footed ferrets requires very large groups of prairie dog colonies. Scientists estimate that a healthy population of ferrets requires more than 10,000 acres of prairie dogs to survive long term. Very few clusters of prairie dogs of this magnitude remain today, which makes conservation of these and smaller prairie dog colony groups, essential for the recovery of ferrets and other species that rely on these ecosystems.
Population
Black-footed ferrets once numbered in the tens of thousands, but exotic diseases and widespread destruction of their in the 1900s drove them to the brink of extinction. By 1986, only 18 remained - all in captivity. Today, the ferrets are slowly making a comeback, with wild populations numbering in the hundreds. Populations are still highly variable because of the species' dependence on prairie dog populations.
Range & Habitat
Black-footed ferrets once lived 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 and a mere 18 were left in captivity. As of 2016, black-footed ferrets have been reintroduced in multiple locations within their former range in several U.S. states, Canada and Mexico.
Behavior
Black-footed ferrets spend about 90 percent of their time underground, where they eat, sleep and raise their young in prairie dog burrows. They are nocturnal, and leave their burrows at night to hunt. They are solitary creatures except during breeding season.
Reproduction
Prairie dog colonies have been reduced to less than 5% of the area they originally occupied. In addition to habitat loss, humans pose a great threat to prairie dogs, which they often consider vermin. Prairie dogs are lost to poisoning and shooting by those wishing to eradicate them from their land. Sylvatic plague - an exotic disease to which prairie dogs have no known immunity - has also decimated these animals. The remaining colonies of prairie dogs today are relatively small and fragmented, often separated by great distances. Without sustainable populations of their main food source, black-footed ferrets cannot survive.

As an official member of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) black-footed ferret recovery implementation team, Defenders of Wildlife works with governments, non-profits and private landowners to maintain and expand recovery sites for Black-footed ferret young, called kits, are born blind and helpless and stay below ground until they are about two months old. At two months old, the female begins to take her young on hunting forays and separates the kits into different burrows. By around five or six months old, the young are completely independent and will disperse to their own territories.

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.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The endangered black-footed ferret is the only ferret native to North America-the domestic ferret is a different species of European origin.

# data[].attributes.body
Massive hunting and poisoning campaigns against the prairie dog, its main food source, caused the ferret to decline. Since the pioneers arrived on the Great Plains, ranchers and farmers have conducted an extensive campaign to get rid of prairie dogs, which were considered pests.The wholesale conversion of prairie to crop land further impacted the ferrets and their prey. Just one percent of the United States’ native prairie remains today.With patches of prairie becoming fewer and farther between, ferret habitat became increasingly fragmented. The remaining black-footed ferrets became more isolated, and unable to reproduce.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
BLACK-FOOTED FERRET

The rarest native mammal in the United States, the black-footed ferret is a short-legged, slender-bodied weasel. It measures just 1 1/2 feet (46 cm) nose to tail.

This small carnivore once was widely distributed throughout the North American Great Plains from Alberta, Canada, south through the Rocky Mountains to the southwestern United States.

The last wild black-footed ferrets were taken into captivity in 1987. Today, the ferrets have been reintroduced to a few limited areas in the state of Wyoming.

The black-footed ferret is a nocturnal prowler whose fate is closely tied to that of the prairie dog. The ferret eats ground squirrels, mice, birds, and insects. It lives in burrows dug by prairie dogs, which also are its primary prey. A colony of prairie dogs 100 to 148 acres in size is necessary to support one ferret.

Causes of Endangerment
Killing of Prey and Habitat Loss
Massive hunting and poisoning campaigns against the prairie dog, its main food source, caused the ferret to decline. Since the pioneers arrived on the Great Plains, ranchers and farmers have conducted an extensive campaign to get rid of prairie dogs, which were considered pests.

Discovery of sylvatic plague in the colonies stepped up efforts to eliminate the prairie dogs. From 1900 to present, prairie dog populations plummeted to about 5 to 10 percent of their former numbers.

The wholesale conversion of prairie to crop land further impacted the ferrets and their prey. Just one percent of the United States' native prairie remains today (see Spotlight on ).

With patches of prairie becoming fewer and farther between, ferret habitat became increasingly fragmented . The remaining black-footed ferrets became more isolated, and unable to reproduce.

Crowding wildlife into smaller islands of habitat causes inbreeding. The lowered immune responses of inbred animals increases the likelihood of epidemic disease. In 1984, an outbreak of canine distemper brought by domestic dogs and coyotes devastated the already-precarious ferret population.

By 1985, there were just 10 known black-footed ferrets in the wild.

Conservation Actions

The black-footed ferret was first officially recognized by the United States government as threatened in 1967 and was listed as endangered when the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was created in 1973. By the time the United States Fish and Wildlife Service adopted a recovery plan for habitat protection in 1978, however, the ferret had declined to near extinction. The recovery plan has since been modified with emphasis on captive breeding and reintroduction.
Captive Breeding and Reintroduction
The Wyoming Department of Game and Fish coordinates the Species Survival Plan (SSP) for black-footed ferrets. Captive breeding populations are maintained at the Sybille Wildlife Research Station in Wyoming and several zoos.

After the black-footed ferret population was decimated by disease, biologists determined that the remaining wild ferrets were not a viable breeding population. The last 12 ferrets were captured and combined with 6 ferrets already in captivity to bring the world total to 18 ferrets, all in captivity, in 1987.

Captive breeding has been successful.

Sufficient numbers of prairie dogs were born to allow reintroduction to be attempted after just a few years. In 1991, the first reintroduction of 49 juvenile ferrets was completed. Careful monitoring showed that 12 percent of these ferrets were able to survive the winter. The discovery of two wild-born litters was a particularly good sign. A second group of 90 captive-bred ferrets was released in 1992.

Follow-up indicates that survival may be about 25 percent. The majority of ferrets are lost to predation by coyotes. The objective of the recovery effort is to establish ten geographically distinct free-ranging populations totalling 1,500 ferrets by the year 2010.

Obviously, black-footed ferret reintroduction will be successful only if there are sufficient numbers of prairie dogs to support the ferrets. Efforts are being made to preserve habitat and reduce other pressures on prairie dogs.

This is a prime example where saving one species means saving a whole ecosystem: the praire dog colonies are a complex natural system supporting many other species besides the black-footed ferret, including birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, and even plants.

Questions for Thought

Captive breeding saved the black-footed ferret from extinction. Other endangered animals have not been successfully bred in captivity. What factors might make captive breeding more likely to be successful for a given species?

All of the black-footed ferrets alive today descended from just 18 individuals. Why do you think this might be of particular concern to the species survival?

Some species that are extinct in the wild still survive in captivity, but are unlikely to ever be reintroduced to the wild. Why do you think this is?
Activities: [CS1-1,CS1-8, CS2-5, General]
Words in bold italics can be found in the .

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Black-footed Ferret: an Endangered Species

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
BLACK-FOOTED FERRET The rarest native mammal in the United States, the black-footed ferret is a short-legged, slender-bodied weasel. It measures just 1 1/2 feet (46 cm) nose to tail. This small carnivore once was widely distributed throughout the North American Great Plains from Alberta, Canada, south through the Rocky Mountains to the southwestern United States.

# data[].attributes.body
By 1986, only 18 remained – all in captivity. Today, the ferrets are slowly making a comeback, with wild populations numbering in the hundreds. Currently there are 800 black footed ferrets with 500 in the wild 300 in captivity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Rebecca Stout

The black-footed ferret has a long, long history of being one of the most mysterious and elusive mammals in North America, its native range. And it's no wonder, given the fact that this beautiful and clever creature only lives in remote prairie lands and rarely makes an appearance above ground. When he does pop his tiny masked face up to take a peek around, it is only for short periods of time and usually in the dead of night. While above ground, he darts burrow to burrow with staggering speed to hunt his prey that also lives underground - the prairie dog.

This tiny but ferocious animal is also adorable and charming, and he has a comical side that has long captured the curiosity of humans. Our curiosity was just beginning to get satisfied due to the hard work of many wildlife experts when these little gems of the prairie disappeared into what we thought was extinction - not once, but twice. Miraculously we got another chance to save this wonderful animal that is so crucial to the health of our grasslands. We are now able to enjoy and fully appreciate the black-footed ferret due to the determination and collaborative efforts on the part of a wide variety of organizations, agencies, scholars, scientists, businesses, and concerned citizens. Make no mistake, the struggle of the black-footed ferret remains critical, but marked success in reviving populations in the wild give us every reason to expect continued success as long as recovery efforts continue.

Black-Footed Ferret Day is September 26! You can ready yourself for the big day by reading this fact list that might help you to fall in love with these wonderful and much-needed animals who dance across our prairies. If the love bug already has bitten you, then enjoy this ever-growing list.

Facts About Black-Footed Ferret Physical Appearance/Anatomy

1. Life on the prairie is very difficult for the black-footed ferret and they typically live for only 1 to 3 years in the wild as compared to 4 to 9 years in captivity. However, the National Parks Conservation Association reports that it is possible for them to live up to 12 years in captivity!

2. This tiny animal weighs in at 1.5 to 2.5 pounds and is 18 to 24 inches long, with males being larger than females. Their cute bushy tail is 5 to 6 inches long. But don't be fooled by their size, the feisty black-footed ferret is a fierce hunter.

3. The coloration of the black-footed ferret features a pale yellow to tan body with a lighter colored stomach. In striking contrast, they have black legs, a black-tipped tail, a cute black mask, a black nose and, of course, black feet. An almost white forehead, muzzle and throat highlight their body of sleek, short fur.

4. The black-footed ferret's body is long with a long neck. They have short and stout legs, long whiskers and are equipped with sharp claws for digging, all of which enables them to easily navigate through underground prairie dog tunnels.

5. Although the black-footed ferret has keen senses, they use the sense of smell the most for hunting prey in the dark and underground.

6. Their little hearts beat at an average of 265 beats per minute. That's more than double the normal human heart rate, which averages 60 to 100 beats per minute.

7. Although their eyes are black by day, they shine a brilliant green at night when a light is shone on them due to a special reflective surface behind the retina called the tapetum lucidum. The amount of pigment and other substances in their eyes give it that unique emerald green color. And that sheen has a very important purpose; it helps them to see at night.

Via USFWS/USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
Black-footed ferrets have a distinctive green eye shine at night when light is reflected from their eyes.

Black-Footed Ferret Scientific Classification And Names

1. Black-footed ferrets are different from other ferrets and the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program notes that they are one of only three ferret species in the world (the other two being the European polecat and the Siberian polecat).

2. These mustelids are members of the weasel family, and their scientific classification breaks down as follows:

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Mustelidae

Genus and Species: Mustela nigripes

3. A solitary lifestyle is the standard for the black-footed ferret except for breeding season; however, a group of black-footed ferrets is referred to as a business of ferrets just as is a group of domestic ferrets.

Black-Footed Ferret Ancestry And Origin

Long before man's ancestors, Homo erectus, walked the earth 1.9 million years ago, ferrets evolved from weasel-like ancestors between 3 and 4 million years ago in Europe.

It is believed that black-footed ferrets migrated from Siberia into North America across the Bering Land Bridge.

1. It has been thought that there were once tens of thousands of black-footed ferrets in the wild.

2. In 2013, it was estimated that approximately 800 black-footed ferrets were alive - 500 in the wild and 300 in captivity.

3. As of 2015, there are approximately 280 black-footed ferrets living in breeding facilities according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

4. The U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service's National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center in northeastern Colorado and partners in other states are currently managing recovery efforts for this species.

We know black-footed ferrets have existed in North America since at least 100,000 years ago. Humans were late in arriving to the party, having only been in North America 15,500 years ago based on a pre-Clovis excavation north of Austin, Texas.

1. Prairie dogs make up more than 90 percent of the diet for this carnivorous predator. Black-footed ferrets also depend on the prairie dog burrows for shelter and raising their young. Without large populations of prairie dogs, the black-footed ferret cannot survive in the wild.

2. One black-footed ferret feasts on at least one prairie dog every three days. And a black-footed ferret can eat more than 100 prairie dogs in a year.

3. They hunt for sleeping prairie dogs in their burrows at night with the aid of the mirror surface behind their eyes, large ears and keen sense of smell.

4. The black-footed ferret enters a burrow and bites the throat of a prairie dog to suffocate it.

5. Hunting is not without risk. A group of prairie dogs can attack and kill a black-footed ferret.

6. Ferrets cache (or store) their food. This reduces their exposure to other predators.

7. On occasion, black-footed ferrets have also been known to eat ground squirrels, small rodents, rabbits and birds.

The Black-Footed Ferret Population

1. What many refer to as the "masked bandits of the prairie grasslands" live in the following habitats: shortgrass prairie, mixed-grass prairie, desert grassland, shrub steppe, sagebrush steppe, mountain grassland and semi-arid grassland.

2. These little thieves steal a home from their prey. They live in prairie dog tunnels that they take over for shelter, nesting and raising their young. These tunnels can be as long as 40 feet and as deep as 14 feet.

3. Black-footed ferrets are territorial, so you may find only one ferret per 99 to 148 acres on average.

4. Males have larger territories than females.

5. This mustelid is unique in that it is the only ferret species native to North America.

6. Historically, the black-footed ferret's range spanned much of western North America's intermountain and prairie grasslands, extending from southern Canada to northern Mexico.

7. The range for black-footed ferrets is very fragmented today. As of 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service states that black-footed ferrets have been reintroduced into 24 sites across 8 states, Canada and Mexico.

The Black-Footed Ferret Diet And Hunting

1. These territorial animals live a solitary life.

2. Black-footed ferrets are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night.

3. Black-footed ferrets are fossorial, meaning they are adapted to digging and living mostly underground. The National Parks Conservation Association reports that black-footed ferrets spend up to 99 percent of their lives underground, while the Defenders of Wildlife states that it is 90 percent. Either way, that's a long time!

4. Possibly the most endearing behavior of this once-mysterious prairie dweller is his impromptu dancing on the prairie. The comical "dance" is characterized by joyous leaping, bucking, thrashing and twisting about.

5. They don't sing, but black-footed ferrets do have much to say, as they have a variety of vocalizations that can include chortling, chuckles, barks and hisses.

Black-Footed Ferret Habitat

1. Female black-footed ferrets are called jills, males are called hobs, and the young are referred to as kits.

2. Breeding season for the black-footed ferret occurs in the early spring during March and April.

3. It is believed that the black-footed ferret is polygynous. This means they do not stay with one mate for life. The males, having larger territory, often overlap with several females giving them better chances to breed.

4. By 10 months of age, black-footed ferrets are ready to breed.

5. Artificial insemination is used in captivity to increase the rates of success for producing healthy animals to release and replenish the wild population. This allows breeding of animals who cannot be paired or who have died in order to continue the species. The use of fresh and frozen-thawed semen was spearheaded by the late Dr. JoGayle Howard, a theriogenologist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Black-Footed Ferret Behavior

Black-Footed Ferret Reproduction

1. Gestation in black-footed ferrets lasts 42 days.

2. Kits (babies) are born during the months of May and June.

3. Litters average 3 to 5 kits.

4. Kits are born pink, hairless and blind - leaving them completely dependent on the mother.

5. At 35 days of age, kits open their eyes.

6. Kits remain underground for two months, emerging above ground at about 70 days of age.

7. Black-footed ferrets are raised by their mothers and stay with them until fall.

8. The mothers move the black-footed ferret kits from burrow to burrow and also teach them how to hunt.

9. At just 90 days of age, kits are almost adult size and are able to hunt and kill their own prey.

10. Kits are completely independent and go off to find their own territories by October.

Via Ryan Moehring/USFWS/USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
These captive-bred black-footed ferrets live in a conditioning pen to learn to hunt before being released into the wild.

1. Native Americans were the first humans to know about the existence of black-footed ferrets and to describe them.

2. In 1851, John James Audubon and the Reverend John Bachmann were the first people to officially describe and document the black-footed ferret species.

3. Settlers spread across North American prairies altering the landscape with agriculture and destroying prairie dog and black-footed ferret homes. By the late 1950s, black-footed ferrets were thought to be extinct.

4. A small population of wild black-footed ferrets was discovered in Mellette County, South Dakota, in 1964. These were studied between 1964 and 1974, as the population declined and died out.

5. In 1978, a Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Plan was approved by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

6. Before the Mellette County black-footed ferrets died out, biologists captured nine ferrets and attempted to start a captive breeding program. It failed, and the last surviving ferret died in 1979. The black-footed ferret was considered extinct.

7. A miraculous discovery of wild black-footed ferret existence was made on September 26, 1981 near Meeteetse, Wyoming, when John and Lucille Hogg's ranch dog, Shep, brought home a dead ferret. The couple took the carcass to taxidermist, Larry LaFranchie, who then identified it as the "extinct" black-footed ferret and called wildlife authorities.

8. Shortly after Shep's discovery, wildlife authorities spotted a live black-footed ferret near Meeteetse, Wyoming, on October 29, 1981.

9. Upon surveying the area, a small population of ferrets was found leading to the creation of the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program.

10. In 1985, biologists saw the black-footed ferret population declining. It was discovered that canine distemper virus and sylvatic plague that fleas were carrying were to blame.

11. Between the fall of 1985 and winter of 1987, 18 black-footed ferrets were captured in an effort to save the species. Those crucial 11 females and 7 males became the foundation for the successful captive breeding reintroduction program of today.

12. Reintroduction into the wild began in 1991 with 49 lucky black-footed ferrets set free in Shirley Basin, Wyoming.

13. Since the Wyoming release, reintroduction efforts have expanded to other sites in Montana, South Dakota, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, and Canada and Mexico.

Rearing Baby Black-Footed Ferrets

1. The survival of this species is completely dependent on the success of the captive breeding program over the next 100 years.

2. More than 30 federal, state, tribal and non-governmental agencies as well as universities, zoos and even land owners have been working together in a team effort since 1991 to reintroduce black-footed ferrets into the wild and to conserve the species.

3. Prairie Wildlife Research has extensive field experience with black-footed ferrets. Travis Livieri, who founded the organization in 2001, is its very passionate executive director. He is often seen with boots on the ground himself.

4. Members of Prairie Wildlife Research (PWR) and others who survey wild black-footed ferret populations, use high-powered spotlights to search the prairie dog colonies at night for black-footed ferrets. The black-footed ferret's eyes shine green in the night when the light strikes them.

5. Members of the PWR team not only survey but they monitor black-footed ferret populations. After a ferret is found by the PWR team, live traps are set to capture the animals so that they can be anesthetized in order to be monitored and given veterinary care. That care involves drawing blood for genetics and to test for disease, implanting a microchip under the skin of the neck that can be read by transponders, and giving vaccinations that protect them against deadly diseases, such as canine distemper.

6. Remarkably it only takes 20 minutes for the PWR team to perform all of the procedures required to monitor wild black-footed ferrets. After the health check is done and they collect the data they need, they release the ferret right where they caught it - at their current prairie dog home.

7. At many captive-breeding facilities, black-footed ferret kits are first prepared for living in the wild by receiving training while in captivity on how to kill prey and live in burrows.

8. In 2009, at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the first kits were born using cryo-preserved sperm taken from male black-footed ferrets in 1997 and 1998.

9. One of the original males of the 18 captured ferrets from Meeteetse, Wyoming, was named Scarface. He passed away approximately 20 years ago. In a remarkable feat, his frozen sperm was used to successfully produce offspring in 2015 at the Lincoln Park Zoo.

10. Approximately 200 captive-bred black-footed ferret kits are released to romp the prairies each year. More than 4,500 of these beautiful animals have been released into prairie dog colonies across North America since 1991.

11. New technology keeps growing and wildlife agencies are wisely taking advantage of this. As of June 2015, drones are zooming the skies above the prairies in Montana using 3D mapping software to evaluate various regions for black-footed ferret reintroduction. The goal is to increase mapping accuracy, speed up the process of their reintroduction into the wild and to save on costs as well.

12. In the past, it has taken all summer for two people to walk the prairie fields in order to collect data and map a 7,500-acre area. It only takes three days for a drone to map a 1,000-acre area.

13. Although nothing compares to humans in the field to observe black-footed ferrets, there are plans to use the drones in other ways, such as using thermal cameras on them in attempts to track these fierce hunters who love to dance.

Black-Footed Ferret Discovery, Extinction And Rediscovery

Recovery Efforts For Black-Footed Ferrets

1. Loss of habitat, loss of prey and disease are the main reasons the black-footed ferret remains critically endangered.

2. Prairie dog colonies have been reduced to less than 5 percent of the area they originally occupied, limiting where black-footed ferrets can live.

3. Much of original habitat of prairie dog and black-footed ferret colonies has been and continues to be plowed for agricultural land and human development. Very little of these native grassland areas are protected.

4. The decline of prey is also a result of widespread prairie dog eradication programs. Many people believe them to be pests, so they are poisoned or shot.

5. Fatal, non-native diseases have also contributed to the reduction of ferret habitat. Lethal sylvatic plague outbreaks have devastated the prairie dog and black-footed ferret populations in the past and are an ongoing threat.

6. World Wildlife Fund and others are trying to protect prairie dog populations from lethal sylvatic plague outbreaks by eliminating fleas that carry the plague bacterium and testing a newly developed oral bait vaccine for prairie dogs.

7. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service a study is being done on a program that was developed to dust prairie dogs against the fleas that carry the sylvatic plague.

8. Among the predators that are a threat to black-footed ferrets are golden eagles, owls, badgers, bobcats, falcons, hawks, rattlesnakes and coyotes.

Via J. Michael Lockhart/USFWS/USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
Black-footed ferrets are known to do a jumping, hopping dance.

1. Explore. Find a zoo, museum or nature center that has a black-footed ferret or prairie dog exhibit. Visit prairie habitat at a wildlife refuge, national grassland or park, state or city natural areas.

2. Learn. Research the Internet, journals, books and other resources to learn more about black-footed ferrets and the prairie ecosystem they need to survive so you are aware of their plight.

3. Educate. Introduce children to and educate them about black-footed ferrets by having them read about them, watch videos and documentaries of them, and guiding them through interactive projects or taking them to an exhibit. Reach out and share what you've learned about black-footed ferrets with other people such as family, friends, co-workers, students, teachers and your local community so that they grow to appreciate and love black-footed ferrets. Infect people with the passion to help wildlife on our prairies! Let folks know that your prairie ecosystem and black-footed ferrets are worth saving for future generations to enjoy and inspire them to help and tell them how.

4. Act. Speak up for black-footed ferrets and send a message to government leaders. Do a symbolic adoption of a black-footed ferret for yourself or gift someone (both Prairie Wildlife Research and World Wildlife Fund offer these). Follow and keep up to date on what is going on in the world of black-footed ferrets on the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center Facebook page. Contact the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center at 970-827-2730 to ask for other ways you can help.

Dangers To Black-Footed Ferrets

How To Help Black-Footed Ferrets

Where To See Black-Footed Ferrets

Some of the places that you may visit to see a black-footed ferret exhibit include: Fort Collins Museum of Discovery in Colorado, Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania, Abilene Zoo in Texas and Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By Rebecca Stout The black-footed ferret has a long, long history of being one of the most mysterious and elusive mammals in North America, its native range. And it's no wonder, given the fact that this beautiful and clever creature only lives in remote prairie lands and rarely makes an appearance above ground.

# data[].attributes.body
Black-footed ferrets spend about 90 percent of their time underground, where they eat, sleep and raise their young in prairie dog burrows. They are nocturnal, and leave their burrows at night to hunt. They are solitary creatures and spend their time alone except during breeding season.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The endangered black-footed ferret is the only ferret native to North America-the domestic ferret is a different species of European origin. Black-footed ferrets, a member of the weasel family, once numbered in the tens of thousands, but were driven to the brink of extinction by the 1960s. Although still endangered, they are starting to make a comeback, and Defenders of Wildlife is pleased to be helping achieve this remarkable wildlife success story.

The black-footed ferret has a tan body with black legs and feet, a black tip on the tail and a black mask. The ferret 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.
Diet
make up more than 90 percent of the black-footed ferret's diet. A ferret can eat more than 100 prairie dogs in one year. Black-footed ferrets are also known to eat ground squirrels, small rodents, rabbits and birds.

A healthy population of black-footed ferrets requires very large groups of prairie dog colonies. Scientists estimate that a healthy population of ferrets requires more than 10,000 acres of prairie dogs to survive long term. Very few clusters of prairie dogs of this magnitude remain today, which makes conservation of these and smaller prairie dog colony groups, essential for the recovery of ferrets and other species that rely on these ecosystems.
Population
Black-footed ferrets once numbered in the tens of thousands, but exotic diseases and widespread destruction of their in the 1900s drove them to the brink of extinction. By 1986, only 18 remained - all in captivity. Today, the ferrets are slowly making a comeback, with wild populations numbering in the hundreds. Populations are still highly variable because of the species' dependence on prairie dog populations.
Range & Habitat
Black-footed ferrets once lived 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 and a mere 18 were left in captivity. As of 2016, black-footed ferrets have been reintroduced in multiple locations within their former range in several U.S. states, Canada and Mexico.
Behavior
Black-footed ferrets spend about 90 percent of their time underground, where they eat, sleep and raise their young in prairie dog burrows. They are nocturnal, and leave their burrows at night to hunt. They are solitary creatures except during breeding season.
Reproduction
Prairie dog colonies have been reduced to less than 5% of the area they originally occupied. In addition to habitat loss, humans pose a great threat to prairie dogs, which they often consider vermin. Prairie dogs are lost to poisoning and shooting by those wishing to eradicate them from their land. Sylvatic plague - an exotic disease to which prairie dogs have no known immunity - has also decimated these animals. The remaining colonies of prairie dogs today are relatively small and fragmented, often separated by great distances. Without sustainable populations of their main food source, black-footed ferrets cannot survive.

As an official member of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) black-footed ferret recovery implementation team, Defenders of Wildlife works with governments, non-profits and private landowners to maintain and expand recovery sites for Black-footed ferret young, called kits, are born blind and helpless and stay below ground until they are about two months old. At two months old, the female begins to take her young on hunting forays and separates the kits into different burrows. By around five or six months old, the young are completely independent and will disperse to their own territories.

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.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The endangered black-footed ferret is the only ferret native to North America-the domestic ferret is a different species of European origin.

# data[].attributes.body
The size of the Black-footed ferret is not considered small or big, seeing as they are bigger than rats and mice but are a lot smaller than the largest rodents. They range from 18-24 inches long including a 6-5 inch long tail and weigh 1.5-2.5 pounds with males being slightly larger than females.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Food/Eating Habits

Ferrets have a high metabolic rate and require large quantities of food in proportion to their body size. Food requirements vary with the seasons and among individual ferrets, but they generally consume one prairie dog every three or four days.

In the wild, 90 percent of black-footed ferrets' diet is prairie dogs. One ferret may eat over 100 prairie dogs in a year, and scientists calculate that one ferret family needs more than 250 prairie dogs each year. The remainder of their diet includes mice, rats, ground squirrels, rabbits, birds and occasionally reptiles and insects.

The Smithsonian's National Zoo's black-footed ferret is fed a commercial carnivore meat mix, mice, and rats.

Reproduction and Development

Breeding activity generally occurs in March and April; after a gestation period of 41 to 43 days, a litter of kits is born. The average litter size is three to four young, but single kits, as well as litters of nine or ten, have been recorded. Only the female cares for the young. The kits are born blind and helpless, weighing only 0.2 to 0.3 ounces (5 to 9 gram) at birth, with thin, white hair covering their bodies. Their dark markings appear at about 3 weeks of age and young kits begin to open their eyes about 35 days after birth. Black-footed ferret kits develop very rapidly and become increasingly active after their eyes open.

Kits are about three-quarters grown by July when they first venture above ground. Long after they stop nursing, they depend on their mother for meals of meat. By late summer, the female leaves her kits in separate burrows during the day and gathers them together at night to hunt. Eventually, the young begin to hunt alone, and by September are usually independent and solitary. Ferrets become sexually mature at 1 year of age, and their peak reproductive period is at about 3 to 4 years.

Sleep Habits

Black-footed ferrets are primarily nocturnal. They spend most of their time underground in prairie dog burrows, typically spending only a few minutes above ground each day during the first few hours following sunrise to hunt or find new burrows or mates.

In burrows, they sleep, catch their food, escape from predators and harsh weather, and give birth to their young. Ferrets do not hibernate, but in winter, the amount of time they are active and the distances they travel decrease substantially. They have been found to remain underground in the same burrow system for a week at a time in winter. Males are more active than females: males tend to travel about double the distance that females do.

The Zoo has been a leader in black-footed ferret conservation since a small population was discovered in 1981. The last remaining 18 wild animals were caught between 1985 and 1987 to establish a breeding center in Wyoming. In 1988, the Zoo was the first to receive offspring from those 18 and breed black-footed ferrets outside of Wyoming.

Since their arrival in 1988, 726 black-footed ferrets have been born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, VA, including 139 born by artificial insemination. The ongoing recovery of black-footed ferrets is one of the Zoo's most successful conservation endeavors to date.

SCBI works closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reintroduce ferrets back into the wild. The breeding program maintains a core breeding population of 280 ferrets of prime breeding age (1 to 3 years old). Some of the ferrets have been sent to the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado to prepare for release back into the wild, a process called "preconditioning." Preconditioning involves familiarizing the animals with burrows (underground tunnels) to increase the chance that they will survive in the wild. Ferrets will then be reintroduced into various sites in the western Great Plains. Currently, 28 reintroduction sites cover parts of Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, New Mexico, Canada and Mexico.

Each year, between 150 and 220 black-footed ferrets are released from their preconditioning programs into these sites; about 4,500 ferrets have been released since the program's inception.As of 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduction program has resulted in more than 7,000 black-footed ferret kits births across six zoos and more than 2,600 of those animals being reintroduced into the wild. In the future, scientists hope to research more about sylvatic plague, genetic diversity, ferret health, behavior in the wild, reproduction and semen cryopreservation, so that they can better help black-footed ferrets.

Although much of the grassland of North America has been destroyed, there are areas where original prairie still survives. Much of the western prairie was never plowed, but was used for cattle grazing, so much more of it remains intact than the eastern tall grass prairie. Rising interest in protecting the prairie may ensure that some of these areas will be saved. Many people are learning to imitate nature rather than control it. Ranchers are experimenting with new ways of raising cattle, bringing back native grasses for grazing in order to restore and preserve the soil.

Bison ranching is gaining popularity, because bison meat is much leaner and healthier than beef. Bison graze more efficiently than cattle and can better survive extremes in weather. Some of the most important prairie-saving activities are happening in backyards and school grounds across the country, where manicured lawns are being replaced with native grasses and wildflowers to attract a variety of wildlife and perhaps bring back just a small piece of the prairie.

The biggest threat to black-footed ferrets is lack of suitable habitat and the continued decline of the prairie dog, their main prey.

Disease also poses a significant threat to black-footed ferrets. Sylvatic plague, spread by fleas, is deadly to both ferrets and prairie dogs, and has drastically reduced prairie dog populations throughout North America, nearly exterminating the food source for black-footed ferrets. Ferrets are also susceptible to canine distemper, pneumonia, tularemia and a variety of internal parasites.

Help this Species

Support organizations like the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute that research better ways to protect and care for this animal and other endangered species. Consider donating your time, money or goods.

Share the story of this animal with others. Simply raising awareness about this species can contribute to its overall protection.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Black-footed ferrets are North America's only native ferret species. They once ranged across the western plains but were thought to be extinct until a small population was discovered in 1981. Thanks to breeding and reintroduction programs, black-footed ferrets have made an incredible recovery!

# data[].attributes.body
Black-footed ferrets do not have a very wide diet range. They are carnivores who’s meal consists 90% of prairie dog and 10% rodents, birds and insects

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Food/Eating Habits

Ferrets have a high metabolic rate and require large quantities of food in proportion to their body size. Food requirements vary with the seasons and among individual ferrets, but they generally consume one prairie dog every three or four days.

In the wild, 90 percent of black-footed ferrets' diet is prairie dogs. One ferret may eat over 100 prairie dogs in a year, and scientists calculate that one ferret family needs more than 250 prairie dogs each year. The remainder of their diet includes mice, rats, ground squirrels, rabbits, birds and occasionally reptiles and insects.

The Smithsonian's National Zoo's black-footed ferret is fed a commercial carnivore meat mix, mice, and rats.

Reproduction and Development

Breeding activity generally occurs in March and April; after a gestation period of 41 to 43 days, a litter of kits is born. The average litter size is three to four young, but single kits, as well as litters of nine or ten, have been recorded. Only the female cares for the young. The kits are born blind and helpless, weighing only 0.2 to 0.3 ounces (5 to 9 gram) at birth, with thin, white hair covering their bodies. Their dark markings appear at about 3 weeks of age and young kits begin to open their eyes about 35 days after birth. Black-footed ferret kits develop very rapidly and become increasingly active after their eyes open.

Kits are about three-quarters grown by July when they first venture above ground. Long after they stop nursing, they depend on their mother for meals of meat. By late summer, the female leaves her kits in separate burrows during the day and gathers them together at night to hunt. Eventually, the young begin to hunt alone, and by September are usually independent and solitary. Ferrets become sexually mature at 1 year of age, and their peak reproductive period is at about 3 to 4 years.

Sleep Habits

Black-footed ferrets are primarily nocturnal. They spend most of their time underground in prairie dog burrows, typically spending only a few minutes above ground each day during the first few hours following sunrise to hunt or find new burrows or mates.

In burrows, they sleep, catch their food, escape from predators and harsh weather, and give birth to their young. Ferrets do not hibernate, but in winter, the amount of time they are active and the distances they travel decrease substantially. They have been found to remain underground in the same burrow system for a week at a time in winter. Males are more active than females: males tend to travel about double the distance that females do.

The Zoo has been a leader in black-footed ferret conservation since a small population was discovered in 1981. The last remaining 18 wild animals were caught between 1985 and 1987 to establish a breeding center in Wyoming. In 1988, the Zoo was the first to receive offspring from those 18 and breed black-footed ferrets outside of Wyoming.

Since their arrival in 1988, 726 black-footed ferrets have been born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, VA, including 139 born by artificial insemination. The ongoing recovery of black-footed ferrets is one of the Zoo's most successful conservation endeavors to date.

SCBI works closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reintroduce ferrets back into the wild. The breeding program maintains a core breeding population of 280 ferrets of prime breeding age (1 to 3 years old). Some of the ferrets have been sent to the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center in Colorado to prepare for release back into the wild, a process called "preconditioning." Preconditioning involves familiarizing the animals with burrows (underground tunnels) to increase the chance that they will survive in the wild. Ferrets will then be reintroduced into various sites in the western Great Plains. Currently, 28 reintroduction sites cover parts of Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, New Mexico, Canada and Mexico.

Each year, between 150 and 220 black-footed ferrets are released from their preconditioning programs into these sites; about 4,500 ferrets have been released since the program's inception.As of 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduction program has resulted in more than 7,000 black-footed ferret kits births across six zoos and more than 2,600 of those animals being reintroduced into the wild. In the future, scientists hope to research more about sylvatic plague, genetic diversity, ferret health, behavior in the wild, reproduction and semen cryopreservation, so that they can better help black-footed ferrets.

Although much of the grassland of North America has been destroyed, there are areas where original prairie still survives. Much of the western prairie was never plowed, but was used for cattle grazing, so much more of it remains intact than the eastern tall grass prairie. Rising interest in protecting the prairie may ensure that some of these areas will be saved. Many people are learning to imitate nature rather than control it. Ranchers are experimenting with new ways of raising cattle, bringing back native grasses for grazing in order to restore and preserve the soil.

Bison ranching is gaining popularity, because bison meat is much leaner and healthier than beef. Bison graze more efficiently than cattle and can better survive extremes in weather. Some of the most important prairie-saving activities are happening in backyards and school grounds across the country, where manicured lawns are being replaced with native grasses and wildflowers to attract a variety of wildlife and perhaps bring back just a small piece of the prairie.

The biggest threat to black-footed ferrets is lack of suitable habitat and the continued decline of the prairie dog, their main prey.

Disease also poses a significant threat to black-footed ferrets. Sylvatic plague, spread by fleas, is deadly to both ferrets and prairie dogs, and has drastically reduced prairie dog populations throughout North America, nearly exterminating the food source for black-footed ferrets. Ferrets are also susceptible to canine distemper, pneumonia, tularemia and a variety of internal parasites.

Help this Species

Support organizations like the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute that research better ways to protect and care for this animal and other endangered species. Consider donating your time, money or goods.

Share the story of this animal with others. Simply raising awareness about this species can contribute to its overall protection.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Black-footed ferrets are North America's only native ferret species. They once ranged across the western plains but were thought to be extinct until a small population was discovered in 1981. Thanks to breeding and reintroduction programs, black-footed ferrets have made an incredible recovery!

# data[].attributes.body
They don’t sing, but black-footed ferrets do have much to say, as they have a variety of vocalizations that can include chortling, chuckles, barks and hisses.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Rebecca Stout

The black-footed ferret has a long, long history of being one of the most mysterious and elusive mammals in North America, its native range. And it's no wonder, given the fact that this beautiful and clever creature only lives in remote prairie lands and rarely makes an appearance above ground. When he does pop his tiny masked face up to take a peek around, it is only for short periods of time and usually in the dead of night. While above ground, he darts burrow to burrow with staggering speed to hunt his prey that also lives underground - the prairie dog.

This tiny but ferocious animal is also adorable and charming, and he has a comical side that has long captured the curiosity of humans. Our curiosity was just beginning to get satisfied due to the hard work of many wildlife experts when these little gems of the prairie disappeared into what we thought was extinction - not once, but twice. Miraculously we got another chance to save this wonderful animal that is so crucial to the health of our grasslands. We are now able to enjoy and fully appreciate the black-footed ferret due to the determination and collaborative efforts on the part of a wide variety of organizations, agencies, scholars, scientists, businesses, and concerned citizens. Make no mistake, the struggle of the black-footed ferret remains critical, but marked success in reviving populations in the wild give us every reason to expect continued success as long as recovery efforts continue.

Black-Footed Ferret Day is September 26! You can ready yourself for the big day by reading this fact list that might help you to fall in love with these wonderful and much-needed animals who dance across our prairies. If the love bug already has bitten you, then enjoy this ever-growing list.

Facts About Black-Footed Ferret Physical Appearance/Anatomy

1. Life on the prairie is very difficult for the black-footed ferret and they typically live for only 1 to 3 years in the wild as compared to 4 to 9 years in captivity. However, the National Parks Conservation Association reports that it is possible for them to live up to 12 years in captivity!

2. This tiny animal weighs in at 1.5 to 2.5 pounds and is 18 to 24 inches long, with males being larger than females. Their cute bushy tail is 5 to 6 inches long. But don't be fooled by their size, the feisty black-footed ferret is a fierce hunter.

3. The coloration of the black-footed ferret features a pale yellow to tan body with a lighter colored stomach. In striking contrast, they have black legs, a black-tipped tail, a cute black mask, a black nose and, of course, black feet. An almost white forehead, muzzle and throat highlight their body of sleek, short fur.

4. The black-footed ferret's body is long with a long neck. They have short and stout legs, long whiskers and are equipped with sharp claws for digging, all of which enables them to easily navigate through underground prairie dog tunnels.

5. Although the black-footed ferret has keen senses, they use the sense of smell the most for hunting prey in the dark and underground.

6. Their little hearts beat at an average of 265 beats per minute. That's more than double the normal human heart rate, which averages 60 to 100 beats per minute.

7. Although their eyes are black by day, they shine a brilliant green at night when a light is shone on them due to a special reflective surface behind the retina called the tapetum lucidum. The amount of pigment and other substances in their eyes give it that unique emerald green color. And that sheen has a very important purpose; it helps them to see at night.

Via USFWS/USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
Black-footed ferrets have a distinctive green eye shine at night when light is reflected from their eyes.

Black-Footed Ferret Scientific Classification And Names

1. Black-footed ferrets are different from other ferrets and the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program notes that they are one of only three ferret species in the world (the other two being the European polecat and the Siberian polecat).

2. These mustelids are members of the weasel family, and their scientific classification breaks down as follows:

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Mustelidae

Genus and Species: Mustela nigripes

3. A solitary lifestyle is the standard for the black-footed ferret except for breeding season; however, a group of black-footed ferrets is referred to as a business of ferrets just as is a group of domestic ferrets.

Black-Footed Ferret Ancestry And Origin

Long before man's ancestors, Homo erectus, walked the earth 1.9 million years ago, ferrets evolved from weasel-like ancestors between 3 and 4 million years ago in Europe.

It is believed that black-footed ferrets migrated from Siberia into North America across the Bering Land Bridge.

1. It has been thought that there were once tens of thousands of black-footed ferrets in the wild.

2. In 2013, it was estimated that approximately 800 black-footed ferrets were alive - 500 in the wild and 300 in captivity.

3. As of 2015, there are approximately 280 black-footed ferrets living in breeding facilities according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

4. The U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service's National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center in northeastern Colorado and partners in other states are currently managing recovery efforts for this species.

We know black-footed ferrets have existed in North America since at least 100,000 years ago. Humans were late in arriving to the party, having only been in North America 15,500 years ago based on a pre-Clovis excavation north of Austin, Texas.

1. Prairie dogs make up more than 90 percent of the diet for this carnivorous predator. Black-footed ferrets also depend on the prairie dog burrows for shelter and raising their young. Without large populations of prairie dogs, the black-footed ferret cannot survive in the wild.

2. One black-footed ferret feasts on at least one prairie dog every three days. And a black-footed ferret can eat more than 100 prairie dogs in a year.

3. They hunt for sleeping prairie dogs in their burrows at night with the aid of the mirror surface behind their eyes, large ears and keen sense of smell.

4. The black-footed ferret enters a burrow and bites the throat of a prairie dog to suffocate it.

5. Hunting is not without risk. A group of prairie dogs can attack and kill a black-footed ferret.

6. Ferrets cache (or store) their food. This reduces their exposure to other predators.

7. On occasion, black-footed ferrets have also been known to eat ground squirrels, small rodents, rabbits and birds.

The Black-Footed Ferret Population

1. What many refer to as the "masked bandits of the prairie grasslands" live in the following habitats: shortgrass prairie, mixed-grass prairie, desert grassland, shrub steppe, sagebrush steppe, mountain grassland and semi-arid grassland.

2. These little thieves steal a home from their prey. They live in prairie dog tunnels that they take over for shelter, nesting and raising their young. These tunnels can be as long as 40 feet and as deep as 14 feet.

3. Black-footed ferrets are territorial, so you may find only one ferret per 99 to 148 acres on average.

4. Males have larger territories than females.

5. This mustelid is unique in that it is the only ferret species native to North America.

6. Historically, the black-footed ferret's range spanned much of western North America's intermountain and prairie grasslands, extending from southern Canada to northern Mexico.

7. The range for black-footed ferrets is very fragmented today. As of 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service states that black-footed ferrets have been reintroduced into 24 sites across 8 states, Canada and Mexico.

The Black-Footed Ferret Diet And Hunting

1. These territorial animals live a solitary life.

2. Black-footed ferrets are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night.

3. Black-footed ferrets are fossorial, meaning they are adapted to digging and living mostly underground. The National Parks Conservation Association reports that black-footed ferrets spend up to 99 percent of their lives underground, while the Defenders of Wildlife states that it is 90 percent. Either way, that's a long time!

4. Possibly the most endearing behavior of this once-mysterious prairie dweller is his impromptu dancing on the prairie. The comical "dance" is characterized by joyous leaping, bucking, thrashing and twisting about.

5. They don't sing, but black-footed ferrets do have much to say, as they have a variety of vocalizations that can include chortling, chuckles, barks and hisses.

Black-Footed Ferret Habitat

1. Female black-footed ferrets are called jills, males are called hobs, and the young are referred to as kits.

2. Breeding season for the black-footed ferret occurs in the early spring during March and April.

3. It is believed that the black-footed ferret is polygynous. This means they do not stay with one mate for life. The males, having larger territory, often overlap with several females giving them better chances to breed.

4. By 10 months of age, black-footed ferrets are ready to breed.

5. Artificial insemination is used in captivity to increase the rates of success for producing healthy animals to release and replenish the wild population. This allows breeding of animals who cannot be paired or who have died in order to continue the species. The use of fresh and frozen-thawed semen was spearheaded by the late Dr. JoGayle Howard, a theriogenologist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Black-Footed Ferret Behavior

Black-Footed Ferret Reproduction

1. Gestation in black-footed ferrets lasts 42 days.

2. Kits (babies) are born during the months of May and June.

3. Litters average 3 to 5 kits.

4. Kits are born pink, hairless and blind - leaving them completely dependent on the mother.

5. At 35 days of age, kits open their eyes.

6. Kits remain underground for two months, emerging above ground at about 70 days of age.

7. Black-footed ferrets are raised by their mothers and stay with them until fall.

8. The mothers move the black-footed ferret kits from burrow to burrow and also teach them how to hunt.

9. At just 90 days of age, kits are almost adult size and are able to hunt and kill their own prey.

10. Kits are completely independent and go off to find their own territories by October.

Via Ryan Moehring/USFWS/USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
These captive-bred black-footed ferrets live in a conditioning pen to learn to hunt before being released into the wild.

1. Native Americans were the first humans to know about the existence of black-footed ferrets and to describe them.

2. In 1851, John James Audubon and the Reverend John Bachmann were the first people to officially describe and document the black-footed ferret species.

3. Settlers spread across North American prairies altering the landscape with agriculture and destroying prairie dog and black-footed ferret homes. By the late 1950s, black-footed ferrets were thought to be extinct.

4. A small population of wild black-footed ferrets was discovered in Mellette County, South Dakota, in 1964. These were studied between 1964 and 1974, as the population declined and died out.

5. In 1978, a Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Plan was approved by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

6. Before the Mellette County black-footed ferrets died out, biologists captured nine ferrets and attempted to start a captive breeding program. It failed, and the last surviving ferret died in 1979. The black-footed ferret was considered extinct.

7. A miraculous discovery of wild black-footed ferret existence was made on September 26, 1981 near Meeteetse, Wyoming, when John and Lucille Hogg's ranch dog, Shep, brought home a dead ferret. The couple took the carcass to taxidermist, Larry LaFranchie, who then identified it as the "extinct" black-footed ferret and called wildlife authorities.

8. Shortly after Shep's discovery, wildlife authorities spotted a live black-footed ferret near Meeteetse, Wyoming, on October 29, 1981.

9. Upon surveying the area, a small population of ferrets was found leading to the creation of the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program.

10. In 1985, biologists saw the black-footed ferret population declining. It was discovered that canine distemper virus and sylvatic plague that fleas were carrying were to blame.

11. Between the fall of 1985 and winter of 1987, 18 black-footed ferrets were captured in an effort to save the species. Those crucial 11 females and 7 males became the foundation for the successful captive breeding reintroduction program of today.

12. Reintroduction into the wild began in 1991 with 49 lucky black-footed ferrets set free in Shirley Basin, Wyoming.

13. Since the Wyoming release, reintroduction efforts have expanded to other sites in Montana, South Dakota, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, and Canada and Mexico.

Rearing Baby Black-Footed Ferrets

1. The survival of this species is completely dependent on the success of the captive breeding program over the next 100 years.

2. More than 30 federal, state, tribal and non-governmental agencies as well as universities, zoos and even land owners have been working together in a team effort since 1991 to reintroduce black-footed ferrets into the wild and to conserve the species.

3. Prairie Wildlife Research has extensive field experience with black-footed ferrets. Travis Livieri, who founded the organization in 2001, is its very passionate executive director. He is often seen with boots on the ground himself.

4. Members of Prairie Wildlife Research (PWR) and others who survey wild black-footed ferret populations, use high-powered spotlights to search the prairie dog colonies at night for black-footed ferrets. The black-footed ferret's eyes shine green in the night when the light strikes them.

5. Members of the PWR team not only survey but they monitor black-footed ferret populations. After a ferret is found by the PWR team, live traps are set to capture the animals so that they can be anesthetized in order to be monitored and given veterinary care. That care involves drawing blood for genetics and to test for disease, implanting a microchip under the skin of the neck that can be read by transponders, and giving vaccinations that protect them against deadly diseases, such as canine distemper.

6. Remarkably it only takes 20 minutes for the PWR team to perform all of the procedures required to monitor wild black-footed ferrets. After the health check is done and they collect the data they need, they release the ferret right where they caught it - at their current prairie dog home.

7. At many captive-breeding facilities, black-footed ferret kits are first prepared for living in the wild by receiving training while in captivity on how to kill prey and live in burrows.

8. In 2009, at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the first kits were born using cryo-preserved sperm taken from male black-footed ferrets in 1997 and 1998.

9. One of the original males of the 18 captured ferrets from Meeteetse, Wyoming, was named Scarface. He passed away approximately 20 years ago. In a remarkable feat, his frozen sperm was used to successfully produce offspring in 2015 at the Lincoln Park Zoo.

10. Approximately 200 captive-bred black-footed ferret kits are released to romp the prairies each year. More than 4,500 of these beautiful animals have been released into prairie dog colonies across North America since 1991.

11. New technology keeps growing and wildlife agencies are wisely taking advantage of this. As of June 2015, drones are zooming the skies above the prairies in Montana using 3D mapping software to evaluate various regions for black-footed ferret reintroduction. The goal is to increase mapping accuracy, speed up the process of their reintroduction into the wild and to save on costs as well.

12. In the past, it has taken all summer for two people to walk the prairie fields in order to collect data and map a 7,500-acre area. It only takes three days for a drone to map a 1,000-acre area.

13. Although nothing compares to humans in the field to observe black-footed ferrets, there are plans to use the drones in other ways, such as using thermal cameras on them in attempts to track these fierce hunters who love to dance.

Black-Footed Ferret Discovery, Extinction And Rediscovery

Recovery Efforts For Black-Footed Ferrets

1. Loss of habitat, loss of prey and disease are the main reasons the black-footed ferret remains critically endangered.

2. Prairie dog colonies have been reduced to less than 5 percent of the area they originally occupied, limiting where black-footed ferrets can live.

3. Much of original habitat of prairie dog and black-footed ferret colonies has been and continues to be plowed for agricultural land and human development. Very little of these native grassland areas are protected.

4. The decline of prey is also a result of widespread prairie dog eradication programs. Many people believe them to be pests, so they are poisoned or shot.

5. Fatal, non-native diseases have also contributed to the reduction of ferret habitat. Lethal sylvatic plague outbreaks have devastated the prairie dog and black-footed ferret populations in the past and are an ongoing threat.

6. World Wildlife Fund and others are trying to protect prairie dog populations from lethal sylvatic plague outbreaks by eliminating fleas that carry the plague bacterium and testing a newly developed oral bait vaccine for prairie dogs.

7. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service a study is being done on a program that was developed to dust prairie dogs against the fleas that carry the sylvatic plague.

8. Among the predators that are a threat to black-footed ferrets are golden eagles, owls, badgers, bobcats, falcons, hawks, rattlesnakes and coyotes.

Via J. Michael Lockhart/USFWS/USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
Black-footed ferrets are known to do a jumping, hopping dance.

1. Explore. Find a zoo, museum or nature center that has a black-footed ferret or prairie dog exhibit. Visit prairie habitat at a wildlife refuge, national grassland or park, state or city natural areas.

2. Learn. Research the Internet, journals, books and other resources to learn more about black-footed ferrets and the prairie ecosystem they need to survive so you are aware of their plight.

3. Educate. Introduce children to and educate them about black-footed ferrets by having them read about them, watch videos and documentaries of them, and guiding them through interactive projects or taking them to an exhibit. Reach out and share what you've learned about black-footed ferrets with other people such as family, friends, co-workers, students, teachers and your local community so that they grow to appreciate and love black-footed ferrets. Infect people with the passion to help wildlife on our prairies! Let folks know that your prairie ecosystem and black-footed ferrets are worth saving for future generations to enjoy and inspire them to help and tell them how.

4. Act. Speak up for black-footed ferrets and send a message to government leaders. Do a symbolic adoption of a black-footed ferret for yourself or gift someone (both Prairie Wildlife Research and World Wildlife Fund offer these). Follow and keep up to date on what is going on in the world of black-footed ferrets on the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center Facebook page. Contact the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center at 970-827-2730 to ask for other ways you can help.

Dangers To Black-Footed Ferrets

How To Help Black-Footed Ferrets

Where To See Black-Footed Ferrets

Some of the places that you may visit to see a black-footed ferret exhibit include: Fort Collins Museum of Discovery in Colorado, Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania, Abilene Zoo in Texas and Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By Rebecca Stout The black-footed ferret has a long, long history of being one of the most mysterious and elusive mammals in North America, its native range. And it's no wonder, given the fact that this beautiful and clever creature only lives in remote prairie lands and rarely makes an appearance above ground.

# data[].attributes.body
The National Parks Conservation Association reports that black-footed ferrets spend up to 99 percent of their lives underground, while the Defenders of Wildlife states that it is 90 percent. Either way, that’s a long time!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Rebecca Stout

The black-footed ferret has a long, long history of being one of the most mysterious and elusive mammals in North America, its native range. And it's no wonder, given the fact that this beautiful and clever creature only lives in remote prairie lands and rarely makes an appearance above ground. When he does pop his tiny masked face up to take a peek around, it is only for short periods of time and usually in the dead of night. While above ground, he darts burrow to burrow with staggering speed to hunt his prey that also lives underground - the prairie dog.

This tiny but ferocious animal is also adorable and charming, and he has a comical side that has long captured the curiosity of humans. Our curiosity was just beginning to get satisfied due to the hard work of many wildlife experts when these little gems of the prairie disappeared into what we thought was extinction - not once, but twice. Miraculously we got another chance to save this wonderful animal that is so crucial to the health of our grasslands. We are now able to enjoy and fully appreciate the black-footed ferret due to the determination and collaborative efforts on the part of a wide variety of organizations, agencies, scholars, scientists, businesses, and concerned citizens. Make no mistake, the struggle of the black-footed ferret remains critical, but marked success in reviving populations in the wild give us every reason to expect continued success as long as recovery efforts continue.

Black-Footed Ferret Day is September 26! You can ready yourself for the big day by reading this fact list that might help you to fall in love with these wonderful and much-needed animals who dance across our prairies. If the love bug already has bitten you, then enjoy this ever-growing list.

Facts About Black-Footed Ferret Physical Appearance/Anatomy

1. Life on the prairie is very difficult for the black-footed ferret and they typically live for only 1 to 3 years in the wild as compared to 4 to 9 years in captivity. However, the National Parks Conservation Association reports that it is possible for them to live up to 12 years in captivity!

2. This tiny animal weighs in at 1.5 to 2.5 pounds and is 18 to 24 inches long, with males being larger than females. Their cute bushy tail is 5 to 6 inches long. But don't be fooled by their size, the feisty black-footed ferret is a fierce hunter.

3. The coloration of the black-footed ferret features a pale yellow to tan body with a lighter colored stomach. In striking contrast, they have black legs, a black-tipped tail, a cute black mask, a black nose and, of course, black feet. An almost white forehead, muzzle and throat highlight their body of sleek, short fur.

4. The black-footed ferret's body is long with a long neck. They have short and stout legs, long whiskers and are equipped with sharp claws for digging, all of which enables them to easily navigate through underground prairie dog tunnels.

5. Although the black-footed ferret has keen senses, they use the sense of smell the most for hunting prey in the dark and underground.

6. Their little hearts beat at an average of 265 beats per minute. That's more than double the normal human heart rate, which averages 60 to 100 beats per minute.

7. Although their eyes are black by day, they shine a brilliant green at night when a light is shone on them due to a special reflective surface behind the retina called the tapetum lucidum. The amount of pigment and other substances in their eyes give it that unique emerald green color. And that sheen has a very important purpose; it helps them to see at night.

Via USFWS/USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
Black-footed ferrets have a distinctive green eye shine at night when light is reflected from their eyes.

Black-Footed Ferret Scientific Classification And Names

1. Black-footed ferrets are different from other ferrets and the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program notes that they are one of only three ferret species in the world (the other two being the European polecat and the Siberian polecat).

2. These mustelids are members of the weasel family, and their scientific classification breaks down as follows:

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Mustelidae

Genus and Species: Mustela nigripes

3. A solitary lifestyle is the standard for the black-footed ferret except for breeding season; however, a group of black-footed ferrets is referred to as a business of ferrets just as is a group of domestic ferrets.

Black-Footed Ferret Ancestry And Origin

Long before man's ancestors, Homo erectus, walked the earth 1.9 million years ago, ferrets evolved from weasel-like ancestors between 3 and 4 million years ago in Europe.

It is believed that black-footed ferrets migrated from Siberia into North America across the Bering Land Bridge.

1. It has been thought that there were once tens of thousands of black-footed ferrets in the wild.

2. In 2013, it was estimated that approximately 800 black-footed ferrets were alive - 500 in the wild and 300 in captivity.

3. As of 2015, there are approximately 280 black-footed ferrets living in breeding facilities according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

4. The U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service's National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center in northeastern Colorado and partners in other states are currently managing recovery efforts for this species.

We know black-footed ferrets have existed in North America since at least 100,000 years ago. Humans were late in arriving to the party, having only been in North America 15,500 years ago based on a pre-Clovis excavation north of Austin, Texas.

1. Prairie dogs make up more than 90 percent of the diet for this carnivorous predator. Black-footed ferrets also depend on the prairie dog burrows for shelter and raising their young. Without large populations of prairie dogs, the black-footed ferret cannot survive in the wild.

2. One black-footed ferret feasts on at least one prairie dog every three days. And a black-footed ferret can eat more than 100 prairie dogs in a year.

3. They hunt for sleeping prairie dogs in their burrows at night with the aid of the mirror surface behind their eyes, large ears and keen sense of smell.

4. The black-footed ferret enters a burrow and bites the throat of a prairie dog to suffocate it.

5. Hunting is not without risk. A group of prairie dogs can attack and kill a black-footed ferret.

6. Ferrets cache (or store) their food. This reduces their exposure to other predators.

7. On occasion, black-footed ferrets have also been known to eat ground squirrels, small rodents, rabbits and birds.

The Black-Footed Ferret Population

1. What many refer to as the "masked bandits of the prairie grasslands" live in the following habitats: shortgrass prairie, mixed-grass prairie, desert grassland, shrub steppe, sagebrush steppe, mountain grassland and semi-arid grassland.

2. These little thieves steal a home from their prey. They live in prairie dog tunnels that they take over for shelter, nesting and raising their young. These tunnels can be as long as 40 feet and as deep as 14 feet.

3. Black-footed ferrets are territorial, so you may find only one ferret per 99 to 148 acres on average.

4. Males have larger territories than females.

5. This mustelid is unique in that it is the only ferret species native to North America.

6. Historically, the black-footed ferret's range spanned much of western North America's intermountain and prairie grasslands, extending from southern Canada to northern Mexico.

7. The range for black-footed ferrets is very fragmented today. As of 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service states that black-footed ferrets have been reintroduced into 24 sites across 8 states, Canada and Mexico.

The Black-Footed Ferret Diet And Hunting

1. These territorial animals live a solitary life.

2. Black-footed ferrets are nocturnal, which means they are most active at night.

3. Black-footed ferrets are fossorial, meaning they are adapted to digging and living mostly underground. The National Parks Conservation Association reports that black-footed ferrets spend up to 99 percent of their lives underground, while the Defenders of Wildlife states that it is 90 percent. Either way, that's a long time!

4. Possibly the most endearing behavior of this once-mysterious prairie dweller is his impromptu dancing on the prairie. The comical "dance" is characterized by joyous leaping, bucking, thrashing and twisting about.

5. They don't sing, but black-footed ferrets do have much to say, as they have a variety of vocalizations that can include chortling, chuckles, barks and hisses.

Black-Footed Ferret Habitat

1. Female black-footed ferrets are called jills, males are called hobs, and the young are referred to as kits.

2. Breeding season for the black-footed ferret occurs in the early spring during March and April.

3. It is believed that the black-footed ferret is polygynous. This means they do not stay with one mate for life. The males, having larger territory, often overlap with several females giving them better chances to breed.

4. By 10 months of age, black-footed ferrets are ready to breed.

5. Artificial insemination is used in captivity to increase the rates of success for producing healthy animals to release and replenish the wild population. This allows breeding of animals who cannot be paired or who have died in order to continue the species. The use of fresh and frozen-thawed semen was spearheaded by the late Dr. JoGayle Howard, a theriogenologist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Black-Footed Ferret Behavior

Black-Footed Ferret Reproduction

1. Gestation in black-footed ferrets lasts 42 days.

2. Kits (babies) are born during the months of May and June.

3. Litters average 3 to 5 kits.

4. Kits are born pink, hairless and blind - leaving them completely dependent on the mother.

5. At 35 days of age, kits open their eyes.

6. Kits remain underground for two months, emerging above ground at about 70 days of age.

7. Black-footed ferrets are raised by their mothers and stay with them until fall.

8. The mothers move the black-footed ferret kits from burrow to burrow and also teach them how to hunt.

9. At just 90 days of age, kits are almost adult size and are able to hunt and kill their own prey.

10. Kits are completely independent and go off to find their own territories by October.

Via Ryan Moehring/USFWS/USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
These captive-bred black-footed ferrets live in a conditioning pen to learn to hunt before being released into the wild.

1. Native Americans were the first humans to know about the existence of black-footed ferrets and to describe them.

2. In 1851, John James Audubon and the Reverend John Bachmann were the first people to officially describe and document the black-footed ferret species.

3. Settlers spread across North American prairies altering the landscape with agriculture and destroying prairie dog and black-footed ferret homes. By the late 1950s, black-footed ferrets were thought to be extinct.

4. A small population of wild black-footed ferrets was discovered in Mellette County, South Dakota, in 1964. These were studied between 1964 and 1974, as the population declined and died out.

5. In 1978, a Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Plan was approved by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

6. Before the Mellette County black-footed ferrets died out, biologists captured nine ferrets and attempted to start a captive breeding program. It failed, and the last surviving ferret died in 1979. The black-footed ferret was considered extinct.

7. A miraculous discovery of wild black-footed ferret existence was made on September 26, 1981 near Meeteetse, Wyoming, when John and Lucille Hogg's ranch dog, Shep, brought home a dead ferret. The couple took the carcass to taxidermist, Larry LaFranchie, who then identified it as the "extinct" black-footed ferret and called wildlife authorities.

8. Shortly after Shep's discovery, wildlife authorities spotted a live black-footed ferret near Meeteetse, Wyoming, on October 29, 1981.

9. Upon surveying the area, a small population of ferrets was found leading to the creation of the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program.

10. In 1985, biologists saw the black-footed ferret population declining. It was discovered that canine distemper virus and sylvatic plague that fleas were carrying were to blame.

11. Between the fall of 1985 and winter of 1987, 18 black-footed ferrets were captured in an effort to save the species. Those crucial 11 females and 7 males became the foundation for the successful captive breeding reintroduction program of today.

12. Reintroduction into the wild began in 1991 with 49 lucky black-footed ferrets set free in Shirley Basin, Wyoming.

13. Since the Wyoming release, reintroduction efforts have expanded to other sites in Montana, South Dakota, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Kansas, and Canada and Mexico.

Rearing Baby Black-Footed Ferrets

1. The survival of this species is completely dependent on the success of the captive breeding program over the next 100 years.

2. More than 30 federal, state, tribal and non-governmental agencies as well as universities, zoos and even land owners have been working together in a team effort since 1991 to reintroduce black-footed ferrets into the wild and to conserve the species.

3. Prairie Wildlife Research has extensive field experience with black-footed ferrets. Travis Livieri, who founded the organization in 2001, is its very passionate executive director. He is often seen with boots on the ground himself.

4. Members of Prairie Wildlife Research (PWR) and others who survey wild black-footed ferret populations, use high-powered spotlights to search the prairie dog colonies at night for black-footed ferrets. The black-footed ferret's eyes shine green in the night when the light strikes them.

5. Members of the PWR team not only survey but they monitor black-footed ferret populations. After a ferret is found by the PWR team, live traps are set to capture the animals so that they can be anesthetized in order to be monitored and given veterinary care. That care involves drawing blood for genetics and to test for disease, implanting a microchip under the skin of the neck that can be read by transponders, and giving vaccinations that protect them against deadly diseases, such as canine distemper.

6. Remarkably it only takes 20 minutes for the PWR team to perform all of the procedures required to monitor wild black-footed ferrets. After the health check is done and they collect the data they need, they release the ferret right where they caught it - at their current prairie dog home.

7. At many captive-breeding facilities, black-footed ferret kits are first prepared for living in the wild by receiving training while in captivity on how to kill prey and live in burrows.

8. In 2009, at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the first kits were born using cryo-preserved sperm taken from male black-footed ferrets in 1997 and 1998.

9. One of the original males of the 18 captured ferrets from Meeteetse, Wyoming, was named Scarface. He passed away approximately 20 years ago. In a remarkable feat, his frozen sperm was used to successfully produce offspring in 2015 at the Lincoln Park Zoo.

10. Approximately 200 captive-bred black-footed ferret kits are released to romp the prairies each year. More than 4,500 of these beautiful animals have been released into prairie dog colonies across North America since 1991.

11. New technology keeps growing and wildlife agencies are wisely taking advantage of this. As of June 2015, drones are zooming the skies above the prairies in Montana using 3D mapping software to evaluate various regions for black-footed ferret reintroduction. The goal is to increase mapping accuracy, speed up the process of their reintroduction into the wild and to save on costs as well.

12. In the past, it has taken all summer for two people to walk the prairie fields in order to collect data and map a 7,500-acre area. It only takes three days for a drone to map a 1,000-acre area.

13. Although nothing compares to humans in the field to observe black-footed ferrets, there are plans to use the drones in other ways, such as using thermal cameras on them in attempts to track these fierce hunters who love to dance.

Black-Footed Ferret Discovery, Extinction And Rediscovery

Recovery Efforts For Black-Footed Ferrets

1. Loss of habitat, loss of prey and disease are the main reasons the black-footed ferret remains critically endangered.

2. Prairie dog colonies have been reduced to less than 5 percent of the area they originally occupied, limiting where black-footed ferrets can live.

3. Much of original habitat of prairie dog and black-footed ferret colonies has been and continues to be plowed for agricultural land and human development. Very little of these native grassland areas are protected.

4. The decline of prey is also a result of widespread prairie dog eradication programs. Many people believe them to be pests, so they are poisoned or shot.

5. Fatal, non-native diseases have also contributed to the reduction of ferret habitat. Lethal sylvatic plague outbreaks have devastated the prairie dog and black-footed ferret populations in the past and are an ongoing threat.

6. World Wildlife Fund and others are trying to protect prairie dog populations from lethal sylvatic plague outbreaks by eliminating fleas that carry the plague bacterium and testing a newly developed oral bait vaccine for prairie dogs.

7. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service a study is being done on a program that was developed to dust prairie dogs against the fleas that carry the sylvatic plague.

8. Among the predators that are a threat to black-footed ferrets are golden eagles, owls, badgers, bobcats, falcons, hawks, rattlesnakes and coyotes.

Via J. Michael Lockhart/USFWS/USFWS Mountain-Prairie/Flickr
Black-footed ferrets are known to do a jumping, hopping dance.

1. Explore. Find a zoo, museum or nature center that has a black-footed ferret or prairie dog exhibit. Visit prairie habitat at a wildlife refuge, national grassland or park, state or city natural areas.

2. Learn. Research the Internet, journals, books and other resources to learn more about black-footed ferrets and the prairie ecosystem they need to survive so you are aware of their plight.

3. Educate. Introduce children to and educate them about black-footed ferrets by having them read about them, watch videos and documentaries of them, and guiding them through interactive projects or taking them to an exhibit. Reach out and share what you've learned about black-footed ferrets with other people such as family, friends, co-workers, students, teachers and your local community so that they grow to appreciate and love black-footed ferrets. Infect people with the passion to help wildlife on our prairies! Let folks know that your prairie ecosystem and black-footed ferrets are worth saving for future generations to enjoy and inspire them to help and tell them how.

4. Act. Speak up for black-footed ferrets and send a message to government leaders. Do a symbolic adoption of a black-footed ferret for yourself or gift someone (both Prairie Wildlife Research and World Wildlife Fund offer these). Follow and keep up to date on what is going on in the world of black-footed ferrets on the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center Facebook page. Contact the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center at 970-827-2730 to ask for other ways you can help.

Dangers To Black-Footed Ferrets

How To Help Black-Footed Ferrets

Where To See Black-Footed Ferrets

Some of the places that you may visit to see a black-footed ferret exhibit include: Fort Collins Museum of Discovery in Colorado, Elmwood Park Zoo in Pennsylvania, Abilene Zoo in Texas and Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By Rebecca Stout The black-footed ferret has a long, long history of being one of the most mysterious and elusive mammals in North America, its native range. And it's no wonder, given the fact that this beautiful and clever creature only lives in remote prairie lands and rarely makes an appearance above ground.