Species Profile
Environmental Conservation Online System

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
  • 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
Current Listing Status Summary
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

Most Recent Federal Register Documents (Showing 5 of 15 : view all)
Date Citation Page Title
05/16/2003 68 FR 26498 26510 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Establishment of Nonessential Experimental Population Status and Reintroduction of Black-Footed Ferrets in South-Central South Dakota
09/11/2002 67 FR 57558 57567 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-footed Ferrets in South-central South Dakota
10/13/2000 65 FR 60879 60889 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-Footed Ferrets in North-Central South Dakota
07/18/2000 65 FR 440509 44518 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-Footed Ferrets in North-Central South Dakota
10/01/1998 63 FR 52823 52841 ETWP; Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-footed Ferrets in Northwestern Colorado and Northeastern Utah; Final Rule
Most Recent Special Rule Publications (Showing 5 of 10 : view all)
Date Citation Page Title
05/16/2003 68 FR 26498 26510 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Establishment of Nonessential Experimental Population Status and Reintroduction of Black-Footed Ferrets in South-Central South Dakota
09/11/2002 67 FR 57558 57567 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-footed Ferrets in South-central South Dakota
10/13/2000 65 FR 60879 60889 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-Footed Ferrets in North-Central South Dakota
10/01/1998 63 FR 52823 52841 ETWP; Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-footed Ferrets in Northwestern Colorado and Northeastern Utah; Final Rule
04/29/1997 62 FR 23202 23211 ETWP; Proposed Establishment of a Nonessential Population of Black-footed Ferrets in Northwestern Colorado and Northeastern Utah

» Recovery

Recovery Plan Information Search
Current Recovery Plan(s)
Date Title Plan Action Status Plan Status
08/08/1988 Black-footed Ferret Recovery Plan View Implementation Progress Final Revision 1
Five Year Review
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.

Last updated: August 24, 2009