8090 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Mammal Black-footed Ferret Mustela nigripes (Endangered Colorado, Federally) Considered by wildlife biologists to be the rarest mammal in North America, the black-footed ferret is approximately 24 inches long from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. These members of the weasel or mustelid family are often confused with the long- tailed weasel or domestic European ferret, but the American black-footed ferret can be identified by the distinctive black mark over the eyes, black markings on the legs extending to the knee and the black tip of the tail. The predatory ferret appears to be well-adapted for hunting prairie dogs and living in prairie dog burrows, and the widespread practice of poisoning prairie dogs during the expansion era in the West was probably the major factor which put the black- footed ferret in its endangered status. Although the black-footed ferret may still occur in Colorado, the last confirmed sighting was near Buena Vista in 1943. Still, there have been several reliable reports of black-footed ferrets in northwestern Colorado in recent years and the Colorado Division of Wildlife continues to survey remote prairie dog colonies of the state in search of this elusive animal. Bl k f d k l ®®® ac - oote ferret trac s are extreme y , difficult to distinguish from those front • of the mink. Tracks found near a prairie dog town would most likely be those of the black-footed ferret. i ?® Below: Black-footed ferrets photographed ® ® in South Dakota during early 1970s ` WMT hind that have since disappeared from the area. Photo by Bill Ratcliffe