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The American ferret, or American black-footed ferret, is listed as an endangered species on the Red Book. Since 1980, a gradual restoration of the population in captivity began. Currently, the animal can be found in natural conditions in North America.
Detailed description of the breed
The black-footed ferret is a predatory member of the Mustelidae family. The animal has a small head, an elongated sinewy body with a long neck, a fluffy tail and small short legs. If you look closely at the photo of a black-footed ferret and a marten, you will notice the external similarity of the animals.
The ferret's fur is smooth, light cream in color with a white undercoat. The ferret's face is decorated with a black mask. The paws and tip of the tail are also colored in contrasting black. Thanks to this coloring, the predator is perfectly camouflaged in nature and hunts its prey without hindrance. The ferret eats rodents, insects and small birds.
Males and females differ in size. The weight of an adult female is about 700 - 800 g, males weigh more - 1 - 1.2 kg.
Due to their valuable fur, the black-footed ferret population was almost on the verge of extinction.However, thanks to the efforts of American scientists, the gap in the fauna was successfully filled. More than 600 individuals have been returned to their natural habitat, but this is not enough, and the species is still on the pages of the Red Book.
These small animals travel vast distances in search of prey, skillfully climb into rodent burrows and rob the nests of small birds. The ferret's natural habitat is located throughout North America. The animals hunt both on flat lands and on mountain ranges.
In captivity, ferrets live for about 9 years. In nature, their life expectancy is much shorter - 3 - 4 years. A unique long-lived ferret has been recorded that lived in the American Zoo for more than 11 years.
Habitat
In nature, the habitat of the American ferret is limited to the territory of North America. Animals that are raised in artificial conditions are released into their familiar environment: the rocky mountains, plains and lowlands of Canada, the USA and Greenland. There the black-footed ferret lives, hunts and breeds.
In search of prey, ferrets easily cover any distance: their paws are adapted to conquer mountain heights, ridges, coastal plains and plateaus. There are known cases where these amazing animals were found at an altitude of more than 3 thousand meters above sea level in Colorado.
Habits and lifestyle
By nature, the American ferret is a predator that hunts only at night. The animal quietly leads a nocturnal lifestyle, since nature has endowed it with a keen sense of smell, sensitive hearing and vision.
The miniature body and natural flexibility allow the ferret to easily penetrate into earthen burrows to hunt rodents.
Black-footed ferrets do not form groups and live alone. By temperament, the mustelid family does not show aggression towards its relatives. When the mating season begins, the animals create pairs for the purpose of reproducing offspring.
Why black-footed ferrets are disappearing
The black-footed ferret lives in the most dangerous ecosystem - the North American prairie. Long ago, this vast area was formed from silt, sand and clay washed out of the Rocky Mountains over millions of years. The Rocky Mountains created a dry climate in the area by blocking air flows from the Pacific Ocean. Under these conditions, a rather sparse fauna was formed: mainly shrubs and low grass.
Despite the difficult conditions, representatives of the mustelid family adapted perfectly, reproduced and hunted their favorite delicacy - prairie dogs. However, with the beginning of the prosperity of the agro-industrial sector in the United States, active development of fields and meadows for agricultural purposes began. Prairie dog colonies have been virtually exterminated by human hands. Many fields were plowed, so the ferrets could no longer hunt and died of starvation.
Having lost its main source of food, the ferret began to hunt farm rabbits, birds and chicken eggs. In response to this, American farmers began to trap, poison and shoot the predator.
In addition to human exposure, many black-footed ferrets died from the plague.
Thus, black-footed ferrets were on the verge of complete destruction, but humanity was able to stop the extermination of a unique species and replenish the number of individuals.
What does an American ferret eat?
The diet of a predator is dominated by small animals:
- Insects (beetles, ants, crickets, dragonflies, etc.);
- Rodents (mice, gophers, prairie dogs, etc.);
- Small birds and their eggs.
The diet of American ferrets is dominated by small rodents, especially prairie dogs. One animal eats up to 100 dogs a year. The viability of an endangered species directly depends on the rodent population.
For survival and food, males need 45 hectares of fields; females with cubs need much more - from 60 hectares or more. Males and females often overlap in the same habitat. In this case, the stronger sex wins in a non-competitive struggle, and females and their offspring may die of starvation.
In winter, the ferret also visits farms, where it hunts small livestock: rabbits, quails, chickens, steals unhatched eggs, etc.
Features of reproduction
After reaching the age of 1 year, the black-footed ferret is considered an adult, sexually mature and ready to mate. Throughout their lives, females produce offspring annually.
With the onset of spring, in natural and artificial environments, the female ferret actively and persistently seeks a male. American representatives of the mustelid family are not distinguished by fidelity and monogamy. Often, at the onset of the rut, one male forms pairs with several females.
Pregnancy in females lasts 1.5 months, and in the offspring of a female American black-footed ferret, 5 - 6 ferrets appear. This is much less than that of gophers or marmots. After birth, the cubs are under the protection of the mother for about 1 - 1.5 months. All this time, the mother carefully takes care of her offspring and protects them from danger.
In the fall, grown-up ferrets become independent. Once out of the hole, they leave the family and begin their adult lives.
Interesting Facts
The American ferret is a very hardy animal. In search of food, it is capable of running more than 10 km per night. Despite its small size, the predator reaches speeds of more than 10 km/h in pursuit of prey. Moves mainly in leaps and bounds.
With a small body length of 50 cm, the animal has an outstanding fluffy tail, which reaches a length of up to 15 - 20 cm.
An interesting fact that few people know: American ferrets are very musical. When an animal is in a stressful situation (fear or fright), ferrets make loud sounds of different tones. During the mating season, in addition to screaming, the animals hiss and produce sounds similar to laughter.
Conclusion
The American ferret is a unique animal by its nature. Nature has endowed him with rich fur, recognizable coloring, a thin, sinewy body and great endurance. The dark paws and tip of the tail stand out in contrast against the background of the light skin.
The favorite treat and main diet for black-footed ferrets is prairie dog. The predator often attacks farm chickens, hares and rabbits. For this, at one time, American farmers declared a hunt for the predator: they set traps, shot them and scattered poison.
In addition to hunting the animal, humans have made an irreparable contribution to the prairie dog population. Fields were plowed for planting vegetables, previously untouched lands were reclaimed, and many rodents were practically exterminated. Being on the verge of complete extinction, the species was nevertheless saved. Humanity has had such a strong impact on nature that this unique animal is present on the pages of the Red Book.
