Mustela nigripes (Audubon and Bachman, 1851)

Black-footed ferret

Species recognized by The Integrated Taxonomic Information System external link, T Orrell (custodian) in 
IUCN Red List Status: Endangered (EN) external link Showing: scientific names

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Mustela nigripes (Audubon and Bachman, 1851)

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Mustela nigripes (Audubon & Bachman, 1851)
Mustela nigripes (Audubon & Bachman, 1851)
Mustela nigripes (Audubon & Bachman, 1851)
Mustela nigripes (Audubon & Bachman, 1851)
Mustela nigripes Audubon & Bachman, 1851
Mustela nigripes Audubon & Bachman, 1851
Mustela nigripes (Audubon & Bachman, 1851)
Mustela nigripes (Audubon & Bachman, 1851)
Mustela nigripes (Audubon & Bachman, 1851)

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Table of Contents

Overview

Biology

Source and Additional Information
Supplier
ARKive external link
Copyright
Copyright Wildscreen 2003-2008. Some rights reserved external link
Location
Source URL
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Citation

The black-footed ferret is an alert, agile, nocturnal animal, which spends the day in prairie dog burrows (7). More than 90 percent of the diet consists of prairie dogs, which are attacked whilst they sleep in their burrows (3), although mice, ground squirrels, voles and other small mammals are also taken (6).

This species is solitary, except during the breeding season, which runs from March to April (6). Females give birth to litters of between three to six young (known as kits), and rear their offspring without help from the male. The young, which are born blind and helpless and covered with thin white hair (3), stay in the burrow for about 42 days before venturing above ground, and remain with their mother until the autumn, after which time they disperse (6). These ferrets have excellent senses of hearing, sight and smell, and olfactory communication (urination and defecation) is very important in the maintenance of dominance hierarchies and following trails at night (6). Vocalisations include chattering and hissing (6).

Katja Schulz. Curator. "Mustela nigripes (Audubon and Bachman, 1851)". Encyclopedia of Life, available from "http://www.eol.org/pages/328590". Accessed 18 Mar 2010.