Prairie Wildlife Research
PO Box 308
Wellington, CO 80549
970.219.1659
National Geographic
Wild Chronicles
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Join National Geographic Explorer host Boyd Matson on a journey into the night to shed light on the promising fate of one of America's most endangered species.
Black-Footed Ferret
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a black-footed ferret?
What do black-footed ferrets eat?
What eats black-footed ferrets?
Where do black-footed ferrets live?
Why are black-footed ferrets endangered?
Where can I see a black-footed ferret?
How many black-footed ferrets are there?
Can I own a black-footed ferret?
What is the difference between a black-footed ferret
and a pet ferret?
I think I saw a black-footed ferret in the wild,
where do I report it?
What diseases do black-footed ferrets get?
What is being done to recover black-footed ferrets?
What is a black-footed ferret?
The black-footed ferret, Mustela nigripes,
is a member of the weasel family Mustelidae and a close relative of mink,
badgers and otters. The black-footed ferret is the only ferret species
native to North America.
What do black-footed ferrets eat?
Black-footed ferrets are carnivores (meat-eaters) and only eat prairie
dogs (Cynomys species). Prairie dogs are rodents that
live in aggregations called towns or colonies. A typical prairie dog is
as large as or larger than a black-footed ferret, but a ferret will attack
a prairie dog below ground at night when the prairie dog is sleeping. The
ferret places a bite on the neck of the prairie dog to suffocate it. Black-footed
ferrets eat all parts of the prairie dog and have sharp teeth that can
easily shear through the prairie dog bones (carnassial teeth).
What eats black-footed ferrets?
Black-footed ferrets in the wild are susceptible to becoming prey
themselves. Common predators of ferrets include coyotes (Canis
latrans ), badgers (Taxidea taxus) and great-horned owls (
Bubo virginianus ). Other predators can include bobcats (
Lynx rufus) and hawks and eagles.
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Where do black-footed ferrets live?
Black-footed ferrets live only on prairie dog towns in the Great Plains
(Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota,
Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming and portions of Canada
and Mexico). Black-footed ferrets live in the burrows of prairie dogs,
sometimes of prairie dogs they have eaten. Ferrets are relatively poor
diggers and do not dig their own burrows. Prairie dog burrows can be as
much as 15 feet deep and 60 feet long and sometimes connect with other burrows.
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Why are black-footed ferrets endangered?
Black-footed ferrets require prairie dogs for food and shelter. Since
the early 1900's humans have eradicated prairie dogs and destroyed prairie
dog habitat. Ranchers perceive the prairie dog as a competitor for the grass
that their cattle eat and thus have poisoned prairie dogs with harmful chemicals
that sometimes killed other animals. Also, many prairie dog towns have
been plowed over for crop fields or destroyed for human development. Diseases,
such as sylvatic plague, have also been a factor in reducing prairie dog
populations. Some scientists have estimated we have lost as much as 98%
of the prairie dog habitat that once existed. As human encroachment and
other factors reduced the populations of prairie dogs, thus ferret populations
were reduced. Only 18 black-footed ferrets existed in 1987, making it one
of the most endangered animals in the world.
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Where can I see a black-footed ferret?
The best place to see a black-footed ferret is in a zoo since ferrets
are very rare and difficult to see in the wild. You can see a live black-footed
ferret at:
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Akron Zoo, Akron, OH (call to verify first)
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Binder Park Zoo, Battle Creek, MI
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Bramble Park Zoo, Watertown, SD
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Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs, CO
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Dakota Zoo, Bismarck, ND
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Elmwood Park Zoo, Norristown, PA
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Fort Worth Zoo, Fort Worth, TX (call to verify first)
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Henry Doorly Zoo, Omaha, NE (call to verify first)
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Hogle Zoo, Salt Lake City, UT
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Hutchinson Zoo, Hutchinson, KS
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Lake Superior Zoo, Duluth, MN
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Lee Richardson Zoo, Garden City, KS
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Louisville Zoological Gardens, Louisville, KY
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National Zoological Park, Washington, D.C.
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North Eastern Wisconsin Zoo, Green Bay, WI
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Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, AZ
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San Antonio Zoological Gardens and Aquarium, San Antonio, TX
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San Diego Wild Animal Park, Escondido, CA
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Texas Zoo, Victoria, TX
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Toronto Zoo, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
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Zoo Montana, Billings, MT
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How many black-footed ferrets are there?
In 1987 there were only 18 black-footed ferrets left. Captive breeding
was successful and produced enough young (kits) that they could be placed
into other zoos for breeding and reintroductions back into the wild. Approximately
300 black-footed ferrets reside in zoos and breeding centers throughout
North America and another 400 black-footed ferrets survive in the wild at
11 sites in the US and Mexico. The largest population of wild black-footed
ferrets is at the Conata Basin, on US Forest Service lands in South Dakota.
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Can I own a black-footed ferret?
Black-footed ferrets are an endangered species and different than ferrets
kept as pets. It is against the law to possess an endangered species without
a permit.
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What is the difference between a black-footed ferret and a pet
ferret?
Black-footed ferrets are the only ferret species native to North America
and are a different species than ferrets kept as pets, which are actually
European ferrets. The two species are closely related along with the Siberian
polecat which lives in northern China and Mongolia. Black-footed ferrets
physically differ from pet ferrets mostly in their fur. Black-footed ferrets
always have black feet, face mask and tail tip with a creamy/buff colored
body. The fur on a black-footed ferret is shorter than that of pet ferrets,
thus they look less fuzzy.
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I think I saw a black-footed ferret in the wild, where do I report
it?
Other animals are often mistaken for black-footed ferrets such as mink,
weasels and ground squirrels. While it is highly unlikely that any black-footed
ferrets exist in the wild outside of reintroduction areas, it is not outside
the realm of possibility that an undiscovered black-footed ferret population
exists. If you see an animal that you believe is a black-footed ferret there
are several questions you can ask yourself to help determine if it was a
black-footed ferret:
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Did it have black feet, face mask and tail tip?
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Was the body a creamy/buff color?
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Is the area within the historic range of black-footed ferrets (i.e. Great Plains states)?
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Did you see it near a prairie dog town?
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What time of day did you see it? Ferrets are normally active at night and very rarely during the day.
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What other species could it have been?
If you answer these questions and still believe it was a black-footed
ferret, then the next step is to report it to the local authorities. Start
with the game warden/conservation officer for the area, the local game and
fish agency or US Fish and Wildlife Service office.
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What diseases do black-footed ferrets get?
Black-footed ferrets are highly susceptible to canine distemper and sylvatic
plague.
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What is being done to recover black-footed ferrets?
By 1987 there were only 18 black-footed ferrets left in the world. Those last 18 animals were brought into captivity to start a successful breeding program. Black-footed ferrets are currently bred at Louisville Zoo, Toronto Zoo, The Phoenix Zoo, Smithsonian's Conservation & Research Center, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center and an outdoor facility in New Mexico.
Approximately 200 black-footed ferret kits from captivity are released into the wild each year. Currently there are 11 release sites in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and Mexico. Many agencies and organizations are involved in black-footed ferret recovery.
If you have suggestions for more FAQs, please email your question to: info@prairiewildlife.org