19 Facts About Black-footed ferret

Black-footed ferret, known as the American polecat or prairie dog hunter, is a species of mustelid native to central North America.

Black-footed ferret is roughly the size of a mink and is similar in appearance to the European polecat and the Asian steppe polecat.

Molecular evidence indicates that the steppe polecat and black-footed ferret diverged from M stromeri between 500,000 and 2,000,000 years ago, perhaps in Beringia.

Black-footed ferret has a long, slender body with black outlines on its paws, ears, parts of its face and its tail.

The dentition of the black-footed ferret closely resembles that of the European and steppe polecat, though the back lower molar is vestigial, with a hemispherical crown which is too small and weak to develop the little cusps which are more apparent in polecats.

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Black-footed ferret is solitary, except when breeding or raising litters.

Black-footed ferret's territory was overlapped by a resident male that occupied 337.

Reproductive physiology of the black-footed ferret is similar to that of the European polecat and the steppe polecat.

Unlike other mustelids, the black-footed ferret is a habitat specialist with low reproductive rates.

Historical habitats of the black-footed ferret included shortgrass prairie, mixed-grass prairie, desert grassland, shrub steppe, sagebrush steppe, mountain grassland, and semi-arid grassland.

Six black-footed ferret nests found near Mellette County, South Dakota, were lined with buffalo grass, prairie threeawn, sixweeks grass, and cheatgrass.

The large drop in black-footed ferret numbers began during the 1800s through to the 1900s, as prairie dog numbers declined because of control programs and the conversion of prairies to croplands.

Black-footed Black-footed ferret experienced a recent population bottleneck in the wild followed by a more than 30-year recovery through ex situ breeding and then reintroduction into its native range.

The black-footed Black-footed ferret was listed as endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1967.

Black-footed ferret is an example of a species that benefits from strong reproductive science.

Black-footed ferret was first listed as endangered in 1967 under the Endangered Species Preservation Act, and was re-listed on January 4,1974, under the Endangered Species Act.

Arizona's Aubrey Valley Black-footed ferret population was well over 100 and a second reintroduction site with around 50 animals is used.

Contradictory mandates of the two federal agencies involved, the USFWS and the US Forest Service, are exemplified in what the Rosebud Sioux tribe experienced: The Black-footed ferret was reintroduced by the USFWS, which according to the tribe promised to pay more than $1 million a year through 2010.

Black-footed ferret's clone, a female named Elizabeth Ann, was born on December 10,2020, making her the first North American endangered species to be cloned.