Among the endangered mustelid species listed in the Red Book of North America is the American black-footed ferret, which was almost exterminated in Canadian territory and began to restore its quantitative composition since 1980 through artificial breeding.

The appearance of the American black-footed ferret resembles a marten:

  • the animal has a body stretched in length by 45 cm on short legs with long neck and a fluffy tail 15 cm long, a small head;
  • light color at the very base, the fur darkens towards the tips of the villi,
  • the muzzle is decorated with a black mask, which stands out in contrast against a light background, but hides the animal well in natural environment a habitat,
  • in the total mass of cream-yellow coloration, black legs, the abdomen and the tip of the tail are clearly visible.

The weight of the American black-footed ferret does not exceed 1 kg. If you look at the photo of the black-footed ferret, you can see its close resemblance to the steppe representative. Today, thanks to the efforts of scientists, the population of the American ferret has been brought to more than 600 individuals, but the Red Book still does not delete it from its pages.

Lifestyle

You can meet the American ferret only in North America. Grown in artificial conditions animals are released into the wild. The black-footed ferret can live in lowlands and medium height grasses, but is also able to climb up to 3 km above sea level into the mountains.

american ferret is a nocturnal predator. Endowed by nature with an excellent sense of smell and excellent hearing, ferrets perfectly navigate in the dark and hunt without light. Skillfully using its flexible and thin body, the ferret is able to quickly seep into the holes of rodents, coping with its prey and occupying its home in the near future.

Bred under conditions national parks and zoos, black-footed polecats settle in the US states of Montana, South Dakota, Colorado and Arizona. They also exist in Mexico.

By nature, the black-footed ferret is a loner. He does not seek to join the pack, only when attacked mating season picks up a mate, but does not show much aggression when relatives appear next to him in the inhabited territory.

Nutrition

The main diet for the American black-footed polecat is small-sized animals, including:

  • rodents,
  • large insects,
  • small birds.

Among rodents, ground squirrels or steppe dogs, which each family American ferrets ready to eat up to 250 individuals per calendar year, therefore, colonies of ferrets often settle in the habitats of rodents. For proper nutrition, one animal needs an average of up to 100 steppe dogs per year.

Looking for food american hori able to run up to 10 km per night, developing speeds up to 10-11 km / h. They usually move in leaps and bounds.

Land development by farms and the extermination of mouse-like rodents has become one of the reasons for the significant decline in the population of American black-footed polecats, for which they are the main source of food.

reproduction

For the American black-footed ferret, sexual maturity begins at 12 months of age, with an average lifespan of 4 years. Under the condition of living under the supervision of a person in captivity, the American ferret can live up to 9 years.

If a male usually needs about 45 hectares of territory to get food for himself, then a female with offspring needs at least 55 hectares to survive. Very often, the trajectories of males intersect with the ranges of not one, but several females.

At the onset of the mating season, females of the American black-footed polecat actively seek out males.

The beginning of the rut of the American black-footed polecat falls on the spring period, this is March or April. In contrast to the fertility of the steppe ferret, the offspring of the American representative usually has no more than 5-6 cubs, which the female ferret bears for 35-45 days.

Newborn horyats stay with their mother in the hole for about 1.5 months. When offspring appear in the summer, the female remains with the cubs in burrows, and when autumn sets in, when the grown ferrets become independent, the family is divided and the animals scatter.

The American, or otherwise it is called the black-footed ferret, belongs to the predatory representatives of the weasel family. One of the features in which he differs from his other ferret relatives is his short body length and low weight. That is, with a weight of one kilogram, or even less, this individual rarely exceeds 45 cm in length.

Appearance description

The coat color is usually yellow-brown and darker on the back, while the tip of the tail and paws are black. Interesting fact that by 1937 of the last century, this subspecies of ferrets was almost completely destroyed in Canada. But, starting in 1980, its numbers began to be gradually restored through artificial breeding. After that, bred in specially created conditions, individuals were gradually returned to their former habitat. Despite the fact that today the number of trochees has increased significantly, since 1967 it has continued to be listed in the Red Book of North America as an endangered species.

Habitat

The homeland of the American ferret is North America, where they live on the great plains. The ferret is awake and hunts only in the dark. But, the lack of light does not prevent him from getting his own food, because the ferrets have well-developed organs of hearing and smell. And the miniature size helps to easily penetrate even the narrowest holes to catch small rodents. But ferrets sleep in a “dead” sleep in order to recover from the excitement and stress that the animal usually experiences during the hunt. This is where the expression “sleep like a ferret” came from. Besides, interesting feature American ferrets is that after penetrating into the hole to their prey and catching it, the first ones leave this hole behind them for permanent or temporary residence.

Females are less active than males. And in winter, their activity is completely reduced, compared with summer period. They begin to hunt less due to the difficulty of moving through the snow cover, and more often prefer to remain in burrows, feeding exclusively on their reserves.

Ferrets are loners. They lead an isolated way of life, they practically do not contact their relatives, except, probably, only for the “marriage” period.

What do they eat

Typically, on average, a ferret consumes 50 to 70 grams of meat per day. At the same time, most often the diet of American ferrets is made up of rodents, less often - small birds and insects. But their main delicacy is ground squirrels, or as they are called in those parts - steppe dogs. To get enough, one ferret needs to eat about 250 ground squirrels a year. The very same typical colony prairie dogs lives on an area equal to about 50 hectares of steppe terrain.

In the middle of the last century, mass poisoning and extermination of dogs began in the United States in connection with the development of land by local farmers. Which was the main reason for the active extinction of ferrets. After all, the latter were actually left without food.

Conditions of life and reproduction

In early spring, individuals of this species, as a rule, begin the breeding season. After that, after about 1.5 months, cubs are born, the number of which rarely exceeds 5 pieces. This feature is unique to American ferrets, in contrast to their forest and steppe relatives, whose litter can exceed 8 puppies.

IN wild nature animals do not live long - up to about 4 years. What can not be said about their relatives raised in captivity - their life expectancy can reach as much as 9 years. Whereas they reach puberty by the age of one year.

Appearance

The American ferret, like most of the weasel family, has an elongated body on thin, short legs, and an elongated muzzle. And a 15 cm fluffy tail. They have an intricate color: yellowish-brown at the ends, closer to the roots it becomes white, and the paws and the tip of the tail are black. Also, black fur frames the eyes, resembling “glasses”, which act as an additional disguise. Males are larger than females. Like skunks, ferrets are capable of emitting a foul odor to protect themselves, though it is not as strong as a skunk's.

Measures for protection and reproduction

Helping the black-footed ferret not to disappear from the face of the earth Federal and state agencies of the USA together with private farmers. They carry out all possible actions for their breeding and introduction into the wild.

This set of activities began to be carried out in the 80s of the last century, with the advent of the threat of the complete disappearance of American ferrets in nature. It was then that zoologists decided to increase their population by breeding in captivity and further accustoming them to life in vivo, and after that - returning them back to the wild. This experiment paid off, and by 2007 the number of individuals exceeded 600 units, while only 18 units of animals of different sexes were taken for their breeding in the conditions of the scientific and zoological center. As of 2013, approximately 1,200 individuals are known to have lived in the wild. But still still this species remains listed in the Red Book. Therefore, to this day, work is underway to further increase the number of ferrets, until such time as they can independently exist and survive in the wild.

For the people themselves, in this case farmers, ferrets are beneficial by eating harmful prairie dogs, thereby helping to control their population. The latter are especially dangerous for livestock because they are carriers of various infections, one of which is bubonic plague. So is the harm - a large number of holes and tunnel systems belonging to ferrets and dogs often cause injuries to livestock, which now and then gets into them.

Kira Stoletova

The red book is full various types animals that are on the verge of extinction or disappeared altogether. Among them is the American Black-footed Ferret. This animal belongs to the mustelid family and, through the fault of poachers, has practically disappeared from the mainland. Thanks to the efforts of livestock breeders and local historians, Black-footed ferrets are already gradually restoring their population.

This is a very unusual animal both in color and in habits. The territory of its habitat and historical homeland is North America, where they are now actively grown. After being listed in the Red Book, the trochee began to be actively protected, and now any hunting for these animals is strictly punishable by law.

Description of American Blackfoot ferrets

The description of this type of ferret is worth special attention, because this breed has remarkable appearance features.

Distinctive features of Black-footed ferrets:

  • The ferret has a long elongated body and neck, short and thick legs.
  • The fur color of such animals is yellow-brown, darker on the back, and generally turns black towards the tail and paws (hence the name Black-footed American Ferret).
  • A distinctive feature of the trochee of just such a breed is the so-called mask around the eyes (the color of the coat around the eyes of such animals is black).
  • This type of ferret has large, rounded eyes that stand out against a white muzzle, where a black nose is also visible.
  • The shape of the claws is pointed and slightly curved.
  • The average weight of the female is in the range from 650 to 850 g, and the male can reach a mass of 1200 g.
  • According to average indicators, the length of the calf in the described trochees is 350-600 cm, and according to the statistics of the female, it is always 10% less than the male representatives of this breed.

So expressive appearance does not leave anyone indifferent, which is why the skins of such animals are highly valued by hunters, although it is important to remember that now the Red Book contains the name American Black-footed Ferret, which automatically prohibits any activity aimed at depopulating the species.

American Black-footed polecats can be seen in wildlife reserves in North America. Or, if there is no opportunity to visit another continent, anyone can easily admire the photo of the Black-footed Ferret on the Internet.

Habitat

The black-footed ferret is an animal that was quite common until the beginning of the last century. The historical range of animals is the territory stretching from the south of Canada to the north of Mexico. For North America, this species is the only indigenous representative. To date, a tourist can observe the described ferrets only in 3 territorial limits in northeastern Montana, western South Dakota, and southeastern Wyoming. Except places natural habitat people can also see how the American ferret behaves in a zoo or nature reserve. In places of natural settlement, the population was restored. Recovery continues to this day.

Knowing the range of these animals, it is quite simple to guess about their living conditions:

  • Steppe and hilly terrain in the expanses of North America.
  • haven for American polecat often becomes an abandoned hole left by a prairie dog (in such holes it is easier for animals to make tunnels and hide from hunting).
  • For obtaining food, one representative of this breed, according to average indications, needs a lot of space: within 40-45 hectares.
  • Females with offspring require even more space to survive: up to 55 hectares.
  • One male can introduce several females into the habitat at once.

The black-footed ferret is a freedom-loving creature that needs a large amount of free space for a normal existence. Such animals do not tolerate restrictions, and even in zoos they always get a large territory.

No less interesting is the life of such animals: the lifestyle they lead should be given special attention. The attitude towards the marten family has left its mark on the habits and habits of the trochee.

Lifestyle and nutrition

The American ferret is predominantly nocturnal. This is a predatory animal, the activity of which occurs at night. Having a good sense of smell and even sharper hearing, representatives of this breed can easily navigate without sunlight. The black coat allows them to remain less visible.

During the hunt, representatives of this species climb into the burrows of their victims (small rodents), where they deal with their prey, and then they also settle for a while. They are fast and agile, thanks to the structure of their body.

The black-footed ferret is a solitary animal. He does not try to get into the flock and only during the breeding season creates a pair.

With all these qualities, the American ferret is a friendly and non-aggressive animal towards representatives of its own species.

The diet for such animals consists of a large number options:

  • small rodents hiding in burrows;
  • large insects;
  • small birds, etc.

These cute at first glance animals are still predators. According to the statistics of livestock breeders, one black-footed ferret consumes about 100 prairie dogs during the year. In the reserves they are specially fed, and the cubs are fed with milk. In the 80s of the last century, all animals kept in captivity were released into a free habitat in order to renew the population and save the species from extinction.

Conclusion

The American ferret is a rare, but beautiful and unusual animal. The fact of entering into the Red Book only gives this breed an aura of mystery and makes it even more interesting for others and tourists.

black-footed ferret

15x4 - 15 minutes about the resurrection of species

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If there is an opportunity, then it is definitely worth watching such ferrets, because, in addition to all external indicators, they are unusually cute, and black hair will forever remain in the memory of observers.

American ferret, also known as black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes)- small predatory mammal from the marten family (Mustelidae). In the last century, the American ferret almost disappeared from the wild in North America, but thanks to the hard work of research centers for artificial breeding, the population of these animals is gradually reviving.

Description

The black-footed ferret has a long body and yellowish-brown fur. On the back, the coat color is dark. The end of the tail and legs are black. There is a black mask around the eyes. The ferret has large, rounded ears; the muzzle, forehead and neck are white, while the nose is black. The neck is elongated; legs are short and thick. The fingers have pointed, slightly arched claws. The weight of females varies between 645 - 850 grams, and males - 915 - 1.125 grams. The body length of black-footed ferrets is 380 - 600 mm. Females are usually 10% smaller than males.

area

Historically, the range of the American ferret included areas of North America, from southern Canada to northern Mexico. It is the only ferret species native to North America. Today, they can be found in three places: northeastern Montana, western South Dakota, and southeastern Wyoming. All three sites are sites where the black-footed ferret has been re-populated after it was eradicated. This subspecies can also be found in seven zoos and animal breeding centers.

Habitat

Black-footed ferrets can be found in the steppes and hills of North America. They live in abandoned prairie dog burrows and use these complex underground tunnels for hiding and hunting. Each ferret, as a rule, requires about 40-48 hectares of space in which animals forage. To survive, a female with cubs needs from 55 hectares of territory. The ranges of males may overlap with the territories of several females.

reproduction

Females acquire puberty at the age of one. Breeding usually occurs in March and April. When a male and a female meet each other during estrus, he sniffs her genitals, but does not take active action for several hours, which is different from the aggressive manner of the European ferret. When mating, the male grabs the female by the back of her head. The duration of copulation is 1.5-3 hours. The gestation period ranges from 35 to 45 days. 1-6 cubs are born in a litter. The young remain in the burrow for approximately 42 days. IN summer months, the females stay with the young, and separate in autumn when the young ferrets reach their independence. During the mating season, females actively harass males.

Lifespan

Captive, average duration The life span of an American ferret is 12 years.

Nutrition

Black-footed ferrets feed primarily on prairie dogs. However, they occasionally eat mice, ground squirrels, and other small animals. Typically, a ferret consumes 50-70 grams of meat per day. It has been observed that American ferrets do not store killed prey in caches.

Behavior

This species prefers a nocturnal lifestyle, activity begins with the onset of dusk. IN winter time, ferrets reduce activity and sometimes stay in burrows for up to a week. Black-footed ferrets are subterranean animals that use prairie dog burrows for locomotion and shelter. They are solitary animals except during the breeding season. Males take absolutely no part in raising offspring. Black-footed ferrets are territorial animals and actively defend their territory against other same-sex competitors. Ferrets are considered alert, agile and curious mammals, and are known to have a keen sense of smell, sight, and hearing. They rely on olfactory communication (urination, defecation) to maintain their dominance and find their way during their night journey. American ferrets are noisy mammals that chirp and hiss in the wild when they are afraid of something or startle someone.

Economic value to humans: Positive

Black-footed ferrets help control the population of prairie dogs, which are sometimes seen as pests due to their burrowing habits and can carry zoonotic infections such as bubonic plague.

Economic value to humans: Negative

American ferrets are often considered pests by ranchers. Tunnel systems used by ferrets and prairie dogs cause injury to animals.

conservation status

The view is considered the rarest mammal V North America. The ferret population has suffered greatly due to the extermination of prairie dogs. Pastoralists were engaged in baiting prairie dogs in connection with the destruction of pastures (tunneling and gathering). In 1985, the rodent population numbered 31 individuals, and by 1987 - 18. It was decided to place the remaining ferrets in zoos and start breeding them in captivity through artificial insemination. This is one of the first examples of assisted reproduction to help save endangered species in .

As of 2013, about 1,200 ferrets live in the wild. Today, the population is growing, but is still under threat and, according to the International Red Book, is listed as an endangered species.