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The American ferret, or the American black-footed ferret, is listed in the Red Book as an endangered species. Since 1980, a gradual recovery of the population in captivity began. Currently, in the conditions of natural stay, you can meet an animal in North America.
Detailed description of the breed
The black-footed American ferret is a carnivorous member of the weasel 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 the black-footed ferret and marten, you can see the external similarity of the animals.
The fur of the ferret is smooth, light cream in color with a white undercoat. The muzzle of the ferret is decorated with a black mask. The paws and the tip of the tail are also painted in contrasting black. Thanks to this coloring, the predator is perfectly camouflaged in nature and freely hunts its prey. A ferret feeds on 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.
Because of the valuable fur, the population of black-footed American ferrets 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 great 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. 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 less – 3 – 4 years. A unique long-lived ferret has been recorded that has lived at the American Zoo for over 11 years.
Habitat
In nature, the habitat of the American ferret is limited to the territory of North America. Animals that are grown in artificial conditions are released into their usual environment: in the region of 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 overcome any distance: their paws are adapted to conquer mountain heights, ridges, coastal plains and plateaus. There are cases when these amazing animals were found at an altitude of more than 3 thousand meters above sea level in the state of Colorado.
Habits and lifestyle
By nature, the American ferret is a predator that comes out to hunt only at night. The animal calmly leads a nocturnal lifestyle, since nature has rewarded it with a keen sense of smell, sensitive hearing and vision.
The miniature body and natural flexibility allow the ferret to seep freely into earthen burrows to hunt rodents.
Black-footed ferrets do not stray into groups and live alone. By temperament, the marten family does not show aggression towards their relatives. When the mating season begins, the animals create pairs in order to reproduce offspring.
Why are black-footed ferrets disappearing?
The black-footed American 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 over millions of years from the Rocky Mountains. The Rocky Mountains have created a dry climate in the area by blocking the flow of air from the Pacific Ocean. Under these conditions, a rather meager fauna was formed: mainly shrubs and low grass.
Despite the difficult conditions, representatives of the marten family adapted perfectly, bred and hunted for their favorite delicacy – prairie dogs. However, with the beginning of the prosperity of the agro-industrial sector in the United States, the active development of fields and meadows for agricultural facilities began. Prairie dog colonies have been virtually exterminated by human hands. Many fields were plowed up, so the ferrets could no longer hunt and starved to death.
Having lost the main source of food, the ferret began to hunt farm rabbits, birds and chicken eggs. In response, American farmers began to trap, poison and shoot the predator.
In addition to human exposure, many black-footed ferrets have 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 the American ferret eat?
In a predator, small animals predominate in the diet:
- Insects (beetles, ants, crickets, dragonflies, etc.);
- Rodents (mice, ground squirrels, steppe 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.
45 hectares of fields are enough for males to survive and feed, a female with cubs is much more – from 60 or more hectares. Often males and females intersect in the same habitat. In this case, the stronger sex wins in an uncompetitive struggle, and females with offspring can 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 individual, ready for mating. Throughout their lives, females annually produce offspring.
With the onset of spring in a natural and artificially created environment, the female ferret actively and persistently seeks the male. American representatives of the weasel family are not distinguished by fidelity and monogamy. Often, at the onset of the rut, 1 male pairs with several females are formed.
Pregnancy in females lasts 1,5 months, and in the offspring of the female American black-footed ferret, 5-6 ferrets appear. This is much less than that of ground squirrels 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, the grown-up polecats become independent. Having got out of the hole, they leave the family and begin their adult life.
Interesting Facts
The American ferret is a very hardy animal. In search of food, he is able to run more than 10 km per night. Despite the small size, the predator in pursuit of the prey develops a speed of more than 10 km / h. Moves mostly in leaps and bounds.
The animal, with a small body length of 50 cm, has an outstanding fluffy tail, which reaches a length of up to 15 – 20 cm.
An interesting fact that few people know about: 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 make sounds similar to laughter.
Conclusion
The American ferret is a unique animal. Nature endowed him with a rich coat, a recognizable color, a thin sinewy body and great endurance. The dark paws and the tip of the tail stand out in contrast against the background of a light skin.
The favorite treat and main diet for black-footed ferrets is the prairie dog. Often, a predator also attacks farm chickens, hares and rabbits. For this, at one time, American farmers announced a hunt for a predator: they set traps, shot and scattered poison.
In addition to hunting the animal, man has made an irreparable contribution to the population of prairie dogs. Fields were plowed for planting vegetables, previously untouched lands were developed, and many rodents were practically exterminated. Being on the verge of extinction, the species still managed to be saved. Mankind has had such a strong influence on nature that this unique animal is present on the pages of the Red Book.
