The black footed ferret is considered an endangered species belonging to the weasel family. These nocturnal carnivores are among the larger types of weasels and are usually described to be about 45 cm in height and about 1 kg in weight. They have long furry tails that measure about 15cm. Similar to the mink, they have a slender elongated body and very short legs. What distinguish the black footed ferret among other weasels are their black face mask, feet and tail-tip. They also are known to sport a saddle-shaped dark shade formed by their brown-tipped guard hairs found on the middle of their backs.
Although black footed ferrets are often confused and mistaken for the domesticated ferret, they are actually a very different species. Although both belong to the weasel family, the black ferrets origin and evolution is traced in North America while the domesticated ferrets are believed to be from Europe.
Black footed ferrets are usually found in prairie ecosystems and are known to be night hunters that prey on prairie dogs. An adult wild ferret would usually require an abundant supply of prairie dogs to survive. Mating seasons last for about two months usually in March to April. Gestation period normally lasts 41 to 43 days. Most mothers would give birth to three to four litters at a time. To feed their young, female ferrets are also seen hunting for food during the day.
These ferrets usually give birth to four or five babies once in a year, most common during the months of May or June. They normally shelter their young in burrows below ground and would not allow them to see daylight until they are six weeks old. Kits remain with their mothers for two to three months normally until mid-August. Throughout the rest of August to September, the kits become progressively more independent and secluded from their other siblings and their mother. By October, these young ferrets are already able to independently take care of themselves.
One of the greatest causes for the major decline in the population of these black footed ferrets is the continuing destruction of their prairie grassland ecosystem. These prairie habitats have often been converted to agricultural and residential lands. The elimination of the prairie dogs by farmers of these lands has also made it more difficult for the wild ferrets to survive. The near-extinction of these wild ferrets has also been attributed to the sylvatic plague, which is similar to the bubonic plague that virtually wiped out most of these wild ferrets communities.
Efforts to recover, conserve and reintroduce black footed ferret populations have been instituted by state and private entities. They have been sheltered and bred for the purpose of population recovery. These ferrets have recently been reintroduced and released to various large and managed areas that serve as ecosystems which are made suitable for black-ferret living.
With continuous efforts from the government and concerned citizens and the effective promulgation and implementation of the Endangered Species Act, the black footed ferret can definitely look forward to a much brighter future.