Black-Footed ferret (Mustela nigripes)
Kingdom: Animalia Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae
Listing Status: and
General Information
The black-footed ferret is 18 to 24 inches long, including a 5 to 6 inch tail. It weighs only one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half pounds, with males slightly larger than females. The black-footed ferret is well adapted to its prairie environment. Its color and markings blend so well with grassland soils and plants, that it is hard to detect until it moves. It is a slender, wiry animal with a black face mask, black feet, and a black-tipped tail. The rest of its short, sleek fur is a yellow-buff color, lighter on the belly and nearly white on the forehead, muzzle, and throat. It has short legs with large front paws and claws developed for digging. The ferret's large ears and eyes suggest it has acute hearing and sight, but smell is probably its most important sense for hunting prey underground in the dark.
Population detail
The FWS is currently monitoring the following populations of the Black-Footed ferret
- Population location: Entire, except where listed as an experimental population below
Listing status: Endangered
- States/US Territories in which this population is known to occur: Arizona , Colorado , Montana , South Dakota , Utah , Wyoming
- Countries in which the this population is known to occur: Mexico
- For more information: http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/blackfootedferret/
- Population location: U.S.A. (specific portions of AZ, CO, MT, SD, UT, and WY, see 17.84(g))
Listing status: Experimental Population, Non-Essential
- States/US Territories in which this population is known to occur: Arizona , Colorado , Montana , South Dakota , Utah , Wyoming
- Countries in which the this population is known to occur: Mexico
Status | Date Listed | Lead Region | Where Listed |
---|---|---|---|
03/11/1967 | Mountain-Prairie Region (Region 6) | entire population, except where EXPN | |
08/21/1991 | Mountain-Prairie Region (Region 6) | U.S.A. (specific portions of AZ, CO, MT, SD, UT, and WY) |
» Federal Register Documents
» Recovery
Recovery Plan Information SearchDate | Title | Plan Action Status | Plan Status |
---|---|---|---|
08/08/1988 | Black-footed Ferret Recovery Plan | View Implementation Progress | Final Revision 1 |
Date | Title |
---|---|
12/01/2008 | Black-footed Ferret 5-Year Review |
» Critical Habitat
No critical habitat rules have been published for the Black-Footed ferret.
» Conservation Plans
No conservation plans have been created for Black-Footed ferret
» Petitions
No petition findings have been published for the Black-Footed ferret.
» Life History
No Life History information has been entered into this system for this species.
» Other Resources
NatureServe Explorer Species Reports -- NatureServe Explorer is a source for authoritative conservation information on more than 50,000 plants, animals and ecological communtities of the U.S and Canada. NatureServe Explorer provides in-depth information on rare and endangered species, but includes common plants and animals too. NatureServe Explorer is a product of NatureServe in collaboration with the Natural Heritage Network.
ITIS Reports -- ITIS (the Integrated Taxonomic Information System) is a source for authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world.