Friday 11 April 2014

Black-Footed Ferret / Mustela nigripes

Black - Footed Ferret
The black - footed ferret may look cute and cuddly, like any other rodent but they are actually very vicious, in-fact you wouldn't believe it but they are carnivores, predators and eat squirrels, mice, and other rodents, prairie dogs are essential to their survival, making up the majority of the ferret diet.

This animal's long slender body, like that of a weasel, enables it to crawl in and out of the holes and dwellings of its primary prey—the prairie dog.
By the way before you think of a prairie dog as a big domestic dog as I did first it is actually this small ...


The black-footed ferret could also be called the black-eyed ferret because of the distinctive "stick-em up" mask that adorns its face. The tan ferrets also have black markings on their feet, legs, and tail tip.
These solitary animals live alone, and in May and June females give birth to litters of one to six kits that they raise alone. The young are able to survive on their own by fall.

These ferrets are an endangered king like many animals these days, by humans, diseases, and other predators such as owls, coyotes, golden eagles, etc...
In 1987, 18 animals were captured in the wild to begin a captive breeding program, which has since reintroduced ferrets into promising western habitats.

Size of Ferret compared to man:
Illustration: Black footed ferret compared with adult man

Ferrets are nocturnal so sleep 21 hours a day!
after that they then go out at night to hunt for prairie dogs.



No comments:

Post a Comment