Black Footed Ferret
By Elena Chang
Food Chain and Habitat
- find food in western Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota (WF)
- are carnivores (NGF)
- a predator, hunts prairie dogs (NGF)
- prey for golden eagles, owls, and coyotes (NGF)
- located in North America, in the United States, Canada and Mexico (WF)
- terrain is short-and-middle grass prairies (NZF)
- live in abandoned prairie dog dwellings (NGF)
Description
- base color is pale yellowish Buffy (WF)
- top of head and sometimes neck has dark tipped hairs (WF)
- face broadband, sooty black (WF)
- feet and part of legs, dark patch (WF)
- tip of tail, sooty black (WF)
- middle of legs, large patch, dark umber-brown (WF)
- over each eye, small spot, narrow band behind, black mask (WF)
- side of head and eyes, dirty white (WF)
- males
- body length - 20 - 21 inches (WF)
- tail length - 4.5 - 5 inches (WF)
- females - 10% smaller (WF)
- weigh 1.4 - 3.1 pounds (DF)
- height 6 inches (DF)
- very vocal (AF)
-loud chatter - excited or alarmed (AF)
Adaptation
- use claws and jaws (TZF)
- short legs, large front paws (WF)
- claws, dig (WF)
- jaws, climb (WF)
- nocturnal (WF)
- hunt sleeping prairies dogs (WF)
- smell, sight, hearing (WF)
- claws and jaws, hunt (WF)
Reasons for Endangerment
- predators, golden eagle, owl, coyote (NGF)
- decrease prairie dogs (NGF, KNG)
- habitat destruction (DF101, KNG)
- poisoning (DF101)
- shooting (DF101)
Critical Information
- prevent burrow destruction (DF101)
- slowly reintroduce to wild (DF101)
- "flagship" species (DF101)
- popularity and charismatic (DF101)
- public symbol to save grassland ecosystem (DF101)
- save them = healthier future planet (DF101)
- "Black Footed Ferret Recovery Plan" (AF)
- self sustaining wild populations (AF)