by Jeremias Kempt
OPEN THE BLUE LINK'S
The black-footed ferret
(Mustela nigripens) is
America's only native
ferret species. It is one
of the most threatened mammals in North America and was assumed
as extinct. One reason
for the ferrets vulnerability is because it is strongly dependent on the prairie dog.
Description
& Ecology
The black-footed ferret is in average 19-24 inches long and weighs 1.4-2.5 lbs. It is a solitary mammal and becomes 4-5 years old. The color is generally brownish with black feet and a black 'mask'. The ferrets life is heavily dependent on prairie dogs, they are the main food source (around 90%) and provide burrows as habitat for the them. It is a nocturnal animal and difficult to monitor. HERE you can see one of the rare videos of the ferret in the wild!
The black-footed ferret is in average 19-24 inches long and weighs 1.4-2.5 lbs. It is a solitary mammal and becomes 4-5 years old. The color is generally brownish with black feet and a black 'mask'. The ferrets life is heavily dependent on prairie dogs, they are the main food source (around 90%) and provide burrows as habitat for the them. It is a nocturnal animal and difficult to monitor. HERE you can see one of the rare videos of the ferret in the wild!
Black Footed Ferret prey's on a Prairie Dog
http://www.gif-paradies.de/tiere/frettchen.html
Geographic and Population Changes
The ferret's original habitat reached over a large part of North America. It populated
in semi-arid grasslands, mountain basins and the Great Plains,
wherever the black-tailed prairie dog, Gunnison's prairie dog or
white-tailed prairie dog occurred. It is supposed that the
black-footed ferret counted between 500.000 and 1.000.000
individuals 100 years ago spread over an area of 100 million
acres from Canada to Mexico. This historical occupied habitat
decreased approximately by 96 percent. The average minimum of
breeding adults in the wild is around 418 individuals today.
The current black-footed ferret populations are nearly all the result
of reintroduction efforts. 
http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/blackfootedferret/
Listing Date & Type
The black-footed ferret
was listed as endangered in 1967, even before the Endangered
Species Act of 1973. The protection status 'grandfathered'
(adopt) into the act. The ferret is actually listed as recovery
priority 2C (high degree of threat).
Furthermore, the WWF
listed the black-footed ferret as endangered (facing a high risk of
extinction in the wild), and it is listed on Appendix I (threatened
with extinction, prohibition of international trade) of the CITES.
http://usercontent1.hubimg.com/12082342_f520.jpg
Cause of Listing & Main Threats
The decrease of black-footed ferrets is due to the dependency on the prairie dog. Prairie dog populations are decreasing since the late 1800s with effects to the ferret. The main reasons are conversion of native grasslands to agricultural and urban land since the late 1800s, poisoning of prairie dogs because they are in competition for forage with livestock, and diseases like the exotic sylvatic plague (which infects the ferret and the prairie dog) or the native canine distemper. There are also natural threats like predation of coyotes and great horned owls.
The decrease of black-footed ferrets is due to the dependency on the prairie dog. Prairie dog populations are decreasing since the late 1800s with effects to the ferret. The main reasons are conversion of native grasslands to agricultural and urban land since the late 1800s, poisoning of prairie dogs because they are in competition for forage with livestock, and diseases like the exotic sylvatic plague (which infects the ferret and the prairie dog) or the native canine distemper. There are also natural threats like predation of coyotes and great horned owls.
Little sad now? Low concentration?
The recovery plan of the
black-footed ferret is one of the oldest from the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service. The goal of the recovery plan is the downlisting
by 2023 and the delisting by 2043 of the ferret. There are
several actions in the recovery plan to achieve this objectives. For
example managing a captive ferret population, locate high potential
reintroduction habitats, establish new free ranging populations,
reduce the impact of diseases and support cooperative management.
Since 1991 there have been twenty new reintroduction sites in the United States. However, the downlisting criteria specify the number of free ranging black-footed ferrets with 1,500 in >10 populations. Furthermore, one criteria is to maintain a captive population with 280 adults in at least 3 facilities. The last downlisting requirement is to maintain 100,000 hectar possible reintroduction habitate. The downlisting is approved if the aformentioned conditions last 3 years. The goal of downlisting until 2023 is 40 percent
successful today, not enough!
Personal Action
There are several ways how you can support the preservation of the black-footed ferret! Support agencies like the WWF and ADOPT a black-footed ferret, get a sweet little stuffed animal and a adoption certificate for your help.
Or click HERE and learn how to help.
http://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions/Black-footed-Ferret.aspx?sc=AWY1302WC922&_ga=1.43837411.756791172.1447891811
Or click HERE and learn how to help.
http://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions/Black-footed-Ferret.aspx?sc=AWY1302WC922&_ga=1.43837411.756791172.1447891811
http://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions/Black-footed-Ferret.aspx
Sources:
U.S. Fish and Wilflife
Service,. (2013). Retrieved 29 November 2015, from
http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/20131108%20BFF%202nd%20Rev.%20Final%20Recovery%20Plan.pdf
The graphics are very cute and made the post really interesting to read! Very uplifting that there is progress in the recovery plan even though it's not enough.
ReplyDelete- Rebecca Kang #BIO227Fall2015