The black-footed ferret is an endangered species that historically ranged across prairie grasslands in North America. Its range and numbers declined dramatically due to habitat loss, poisoning of prairie dogs which are its primary food source, and diseases. Restoration efforts since the 1980s have established over 2,300 ferrets across 15 reintroduction sites through a captive breeding program, but the species remains endangered and dependent on the conservation of sufficient prairie dog habitat.

1. Black-footed Ferret
Acknowledgments:
Mona Long @ Main Street Reprographics, Chase
Macek, Robert Wang
By: Jason E Evitt
Common Name: Black-footed Ferret
Scientific Name: Mustela nigripes
• Original Range: 100 million acres of
intermountain and prairie grasslands extending
from Canada to Mexico
• Current Range: They only exist in 17 different
reintroduction sites and in 6 captive breeding
programs established in 1988
Reasons for endangerment:
• Conversion of native prairie habitat to cropland
• Poisoning, shooting and disease, especially of
prairie dogs
• The health of BFFs depends upon the health of
the prairie dog communities they are
sustained by
• After prairie dog poisoning abated in the mid-
1900s, plague was throughout BFFs range
• Sylvatic Plague and Canine Distemper have
been primary diseases causing decline
Figure 1. Historical range and current
reintroduction sites
Figure 2. Black-footed ferret in Janos Biosphere
Reserve, Mexico
Figure 3. BFFs-Best Friends Forever
Restoration efforts:
• Goal: 1,500 free-ranging adult BFFs in 10 or
more populations with 30+ breeding adults
• Status as of 2008: 6,500+ kits birthed since
1987 and over 2,300 released with at least
750 ferrets in the wild in 15 locations
• Breeding program began with 7 founder
animals trapped at Meeteetse, Wyoming
• 300 total kits were born in captivity in 2011!
• Dusting and systematic flea control, vaccines,
maintenance of large sites, and more
reintroduction site research are a few ways of
managing the threats to recovery
• 4 populations of 30+ breeding adults have
been successfully established in 3 states
Conservation Status: Endangered
Range Wide
Figure 4. BFF Conservation Center, Wellington, CO
References:
www.fws.gov
www.defenders.org
www.blackfootedferret.org
www.azgfd.gov
www.wikipedia.org
Ecological Niche:
• BFFs are the only U.S. native ferret species
• BFFs live in the burrows of prairie dogs
• Prairie dogs comprise up to 90% of their diet,
eating over 100 per year or 1 every 3 days
• BFFs spend 90% of their time underground
• ≈ 150 acres of occupied prairie dog habitat are
needed to support one ferret - that’s
15,000 Acres / 100 ferrets on average
• Prairie dogs currently occupy about 3 million
acres ≈ 3% of their historical range
• BFF Habitat coincides with the Black-tailed
Prairie Dogs (85% historically), Gunnison’s
PDs, & White-tailed PDs