In This Chapter
- Acquainting yourself with your lovable domestic ferret
- Perusing the historical timeline of the ferret
- Taking a look at the sport of ferreting
- Going green (not really) with ferret hybrids
- Reviewing the domestic ferret’s appearance
- Examining the plight and the rebirth of the black-footed ferret
It’s important to discuss domestication when it comes to ferrets; the issue is at the center of a ferret’s identity. Some people hold the mistaken belief that ferrets are wild animals, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Lumping them in with wild animals for regulatory purposes is, in my opinion, a crime (for more, see Chapter Ferrets
and the Law: Licensing and Other Issues). In reality, ferrets are domesticated polecats, which means they’re descendants of wild polecats that were domesticated by humans. This chapter will teach you about what it means to be domesticated and why ferrets are domesticated. It’s really quite interesting.
You also discover in this chapter that ferrets are endearing critters that come in a multitude of colors and patterns, which I explain in detail. But ferret types don’t end at colors. In your search for a ferret you may come across an angora or even a ferret-polecat hybrid, so this chapter prepares you a little for that unusual and exciting encounter. But you’re not likely to encounter the ferret’s rare and extremely endangered cousin, the black-footed ferret. So I’ll introduce you to him here. You’ll get to know about his plight and the heroic efforts of a group of people to reintroduce him back into the wild.
This chapter also burrows through the past and takes you into the present, taking note of historical ferret sightings — some of which are more like hallucinations. You find out why people prized the beloved ferret so much in the first place, and that common folk weren’t the only ones who enjoyed the company of weasels. You also get a brief lesson on the art of ferreting, as well as a stern lecture on why your ferret should hunt only within the safety of your home.
Yes, Ferrets Are
Domesticated Domestication is a long process in which people selectively breed wild animals in captivity for human benefit. There are three main criteria for domestication:
- Humans select the animals to be bred; the animals can’t select mates themselves.
In the case of unaltered pet ferrets, their breeding is under complete control of humans. People not only pair up the ferrets, but also can and sometimes do tell them when and when not to breed by using light cycles. They can take ferrets out of season by using vasectomized males or drugs so that they can’t reproduce. Humans can even have ferrets produce multiple litters per year or prevent them from having any litters in a year.
- The animal experiences some type of genetic change that reflects the human selection and distinguishes it from its wild counterparts.
- Domestication has caused profound changes to ferret behavior:
- Domesticated ferrets by nature don’t fear humans.
- They demonstrate prolonged litter behaviors toward other ferrets, which allows them to be housed with other ferrets.
- They demonstrate play behavior into late adulthood.
Will the ferret’s real daddy please stand up? | |
A huge amount of mystery and controversy surrounds our little ferret friends’ history — perhaps because all polecat groups are very closely related and can interbreed successfully (that is, they can produce viable hybrids). Nobody really knows how the ferret is related to the rest of the polecats, except that it is a domesticated polecat, and the European polecat (Mustela putorius) and the steppe polecat (Mustela eversmanni) may be involved. The most commonly accepted among several theories points toward the European polecat as having the most likely claim to ferret ancestry. Although scientists have found little archeological evidence to support this idea, genetically speaking, today’s ferret and the
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entire polecat group Subgenera Putorius ( Mustela eversmanni, Mustela putorius, and Mustela nigripes ) are practically twins. The most likely conclusion is that the domestic ferret is a polecat hybrid. But even a seemingly insignificant genetic discrepancy can mean the difference between a horse and a zebra or a dog and a coyote. So, the studies move forward. However, it’s quite possible that we may never know the real ancestry in our lifetime or in any other lifetime. For your purposes, all you truly need to know is that you’re dealing with a unique little creature — more affectionate than ferocious, and so easy to fall in love with.
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In addition to behavioral changes, the domesticated ferret features extreme changes to fur color when compared to wild polecats. Ferrets can be bred for a multitude of colors and patterns, and albinism occurs frequently.
- Humans derive some benefit from the domestication of the animal.
People domesticated ferrets to be mousers because they wanted a polecat that could hunt mice and be predictably tame toward humans. By the end of the domestication process, that’s exactly what they had. In the past and still today, people used ferrets in the sport of ferreting to hunt rabbits. Ferret domestication has also benefited humans in the areas of fur production, experimental science, and, of course, companionship.Some domestication scientists would add a fourth bullet indicating tameness as a criterion, but not all domesticated animals are tame, which I can attest to as a keeper of wild animals. And some wild animals are tame, so tameness is relative.
Getting to Know Fuzzies in the Past and Present
Domesticated ferrets have been around for about 2,500 years and have stolen the hearts of such people as Queen Elizabeth I and comedian Dick Smothers. They were avid sailors during the American Revolutionary war, and they’ve been skilled hunters from the time of domestication until now. It seems their talents abound. Since domesticating ferrets, people have found many uses for this wonderful animal, though it wasn’t until several decades ago that the ferret actually started catching on as a lovable pet.
Ferrets throughout history
Tracking the ferret’s timeline is both factually difficult and headache inducing. Many sources cite the people of Egypt as the original domesticators of ferrets, but we have no proof that this theory is true. Egyptian hieroglyphics portray images of weasel-like creatures, but several animals can fit the description — the mongoose being one of them. Prior to the domestication of the cat, the mongoose held the high esteem of snake catcher and keeper of the house in Egypt — and does so still today. Experts can logically conclude that these hieroglyphics don’t show ferrets at all, but rather another animal native to the land. After all, you haven’t seen reports of ferret mummies being discovered in Egypt, have you? And the Egyptians seemingly mummified everything! Additionally, the hieroglyphics date back almost 500 years prior to the domestication of the cat, which happened about 4,000 years ago.
The first known written reference to an animal likely to be the domesticated ferret popped up around 400 BC and was penned by the Greek satirical writer Aristophanes (448–385 BC). Later, in 350 BC, the Greek naturalist and philosopher Aristotle (384–322 BC) penned another reference. A ferret supposedly made an appearance in the Bible, but it turned out to be a mistake in translation. The word in question, translated correctly, means “small crawling things”; in modern day translations, it means “gecko.”
Experts estimate that the ferret was introduced to North America a little more than 300 years ago. But only recently (in about the past 30 years) have most pet owners discovered the ferret’s “fetching” personality.
Ferrets have always had a knack for meeting man’s needs
Earlier civilizations must have found the ferret to be quite the efficient exterminator, because Caesar Augustus received a request around 60 BC to sail several ferrets to the Balearic Islands to control the rabbit population. And ferrets are no strangers to the seas; during the American Revolutionary War, several ferrets would roam the ships at sea to patrol for rodents. In fact, one ship was named after a ferret: In an 1823 newspaper article, a U.S. schooner, The Ferret, was reported to be chasing (capturing) pirates. People also used the small, flexible critters to navigate wire, cable, and tools through small openings and tunnels.
You can find many more documented reports on the use of ferrets to control pests and hunt small game. Supposedly, two of the greatest ferret keepers were German Emperor Frederick II (1194–1250) and Genghis Khan (1167–1227), ruler of the Mongol empire. The hunting of small game is called ferreting — a word still used today, both literally and figuratively (see the upcoming ferreting section for more on the topic).
Ferrets catching on
Ferrets have tunneled their way into the lives of many historical figures — from Caesar Augustus, who was asked for the working ferrets’ services to rid an island of rabbits, to Queen Elizabeth I, who had a portrait done with one of her royal fuzzies. Ferrets have been frequent subjects of famous artists, such as Leonardo da Vinci. Other famous ferret humans include comedian Dick Smothers and actor Dave Foley. Ferrets have even weaseled into the theater, play roles in such movies as Kindergarten Cop, Garfield, Tale of Two Kitties, Starship Troopers, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Beastmaster, to mention just a few.
Ferrets have made brief appearances on some television shows. For instance, Dr. Wendy Winsted and her ferrets Melinda and McGuinn made a guest appearance on what was then called Late Night with David Letterman. They (the ferrets) performed the roll-over trick for a lap of milk and a bite of a stagehand’s roast beef sandwich.
Ferrets also are a common source of punch lines and jokes. Take, for example, the television series M*A*S*H. Major Frank Burns was often referred to as “ferret face.” I’m not sure where the insult lies, though. And David Letterman has frequently used the ferret in his Top Ten lists. I suppose I can see some humor in it. After all, I have some very weaselly friends. They know who they are!
Spotlighting the Sport of Ferreting
The sport of ferreting — hunting small game with ferrets — probably developed hand in hand with the domestication of the ferret. The ferret keeper, or ferretmeister (similar to a wisenheimer), would release a couple ferrets near rabbit burrows and send them in to find the game. Like today’s pointers and other gun dogs, working ferrets wore bells placed on their collars so their keepers could track them. The ferret’s job wasn’t to hunt; it was simply supposed to chase the rabbit or other game out of its burrow. Often, the fleeing animal became entangled in nets that keepers used to prevent escape. The hunter then killed the prey with a club or gun or used dogs or hawks to catch the game.
Technical Stuff
Sometimes, a ferret would stay in the hole, eat its share of the catch, and then go to sleep! The aggravated keeper would have to send in another ferret tethered to a line to locate and awaken the stuffed, sleepy ferret. The keeper would then follow the line and dig out the ferrets and what was left of the carcass. Another option was to cover up all the exit holes except for one, set a mink trap, and hope the thieving ferret would be caught by morning.
Ferret keepers were sometimes poachers. The poachers would hide the ferret in his pants and take the fuzzy out at night to hunt. Poachers were possibly the first large-scale pet ferret owners. This makes sense if you consider that a poacher would typically spend more time bonding with and socializing his ferrets to reduce the risk of getting caught. As ferreting became more popular and the ferret gained respect, highly educated people took up the sport, and most people kept their ferrets in conditions far superior to what most people at that time experienced.
Many people in Australia and Europe still enjoy the sport of ferreting (see Figure 2-1); however, it’s illegal in the United States and Canada.
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Figure 2-1: Here’s a working ferret teamed up with a human hunter.
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Warning!
I don’t advise trying your hand at the sport of ferreting for many reasons:
- It’s illegal.
- Your ferret can get lost, maybe even for good.
- You may expose your ferret to a disease.
- It’s cold, dark, and scary in those rabbit burrows (to me, anyway).
- Your ferret would prefer to be cuddled up with you in a safe, warm house.
- Your ferret can drown in water-filled burrows.
- Hey, what did a rabbit ever do to you?
Although traditional ferreting is illegal in the United States, fuzzies remain quite the charmers and are beloved snatchers of our small worldly possessions.
Exploring the Hot Topic of Ferret Hybrids
The subject of ferret hybrids is a hotly debated topic in many ferret circles. Very simply put, a hybrid is a cross between a domestic animal and its wild counterpart — in this case, a ferret and a polecat. A hybrid can have just a smidge of wild blood or a whole lot of it, depending on the breeding. In the same mold, behavioral and physical traits are diluted or concentrated, depending on the breeding.
What kind of pet does the average ferret hybrid make? Is the result a ferret or a polecat? Some say the animal is neither, claiming it’s a confused critter stuck in the middle, belonging neither in the wild nor in captivity, thus the ethical and moral dilemma. The fuzzy is neither wild nor domesticated. Other people disagree, saying that the confusion lies between the handler and the animal. They argue that properly socialized hybrids — especially those with low polecat content — can be content, happy, and playful in captivity.
So, what are the benefits of hybridization? Why do people do it (and who does it)? And what are the cons? The following sections break down the issue.
The pros of and arguments for ferret hybridization
You must examine what it is that makes people attracted to the ferret hybrid in the first place. Do they honestly believe that a hybrid is a good household pet? Do people just desire a little piece of the wild? Is it fair? Experienced owners can’t emphasize enough that ferret hybrids definitely aren’t for the inexperienced or uneducated. Other than just wanting a piece of the wild in your living room, what’s the benefit to breeding and owning hybrids? Some argue that if done responsibly and correctly, hybrid breeding can enhance existing ferret bloodlines and make ferrets healthier, hardier, and sounder by introducing polecat blood into the mix. Responsible and educated owners love their hybrids and seem to understand them quite well.
Tip
Having had a ferret hybrid, I can attest to the fact that they’re not for beginners. In fact, mine was a rescue that came from an inexperienced person who didn’t do her research before purchasing this beautiful animal. She didn’t properly socialize him, and she had the bites to prove it. I sit on the fence with this issue and tend to lean towards advising people not to get hybrids as pets. They’re too difficult to work with, especially high-percentage hybrids, and it’s just not fair to the animal. A small percentage of people out there can properly handle ferret hybrids and keep them the way they need to be kept. I also believe there are some breeders out there that can knowledgeably use polecats to enhance the ferret species as a whole. Do all breeders know how to do this? No. Ferreting out the good people is difficult, so I remain skeptical of all who breed ferret hybrids and want to own them as pets. Ferret owners must think long and hard before making such a decision to keep these often misunderstood and easily mishandled beauties.
A hybrid ferret certainly has some benefits:
- A hybrid is a beautiful animal. They often bear beautiful, dark markings and have stocky, muscular bodies (see the following section for more on ferret appearances).
- Hybrids have much better eyesight than non-hybrids, and they rely more on eyesight than domesticated ferrets do.
- They have extraordinary physical capabilities.
- They are very dominant and independent in most situations.
Owners of hybrids also report that they require a rigorous enrichment routine due to their higher energy and curiosity levels. Hybrids are intelligent buggers that map and survey their areas much more quickly than ferrets, which also causes them to become bored more easily. And when hybrids are done exploring down low, they climb to the higher levels and explore!
Warning!
Putting a hybrid in the hands of an uneducated owner often leads to an abused, isolated animal and a frustrated, possibly injured owner. You simply can’t treat a hybrid like a ferret. For example, you can’t scruff them (grab them by the hair on the neck). And you can’t pass them around to your friends! Exhibiting dominance over a hybrid is a no-no. Successful interaction comes when you reach a mutual understanding and level of respect. Knowing how to read the hybrid’s body language and respond appropriately is key as well (see Chapter Understanding What Fuzzy Is Trying to Tell You for more on ferret body language). See the following section for a rundown of the cons of hybridization.
The cons of hybridization
Most ferret-polecat offspring — especially those with a high percentage of polecat blood — display the characteristics of the wild polecat, which certainly isn’t favorable in a captive environment. Hybrids, in general, display the following characteristics:
- They’re shy and fearful of humans.
- They’re less social and less willing to live in groups.
- They typically don’t make good working ferrets (where ferreting is legal, they won’t enter unfamiliar holes or burrows like domesticated ferrets do).
- They frighten easily, are cautious, and hide at the slightest new sound or sight.
- They don’t tolerate new people or being held, and they’re quick to bite if they feel uncomfortable.
- They don’t tolerate being caged very well; they need a lot of room to roam and explore on a daily basis. Ferret-proofing can be quite challenging, and the result is that hybrids are very accident-prone in a household.
- Their mentality makes them more challenging; they’re more emotional, sensitive, and higher strung than the non-hybrid.
What type of people should consider owning a hybrid? Should anyone? Here’s what Dr. June McNicholas, BSc PhD, says about the topic: “It’s taken centuries of selective breeding to produce the sociable, gregarious, outgoing domestic ferret from the shy, solitary and largely unmanageable polecat. So why try to reintroduce the very qualities that it’s taken so long to remove?”
Although Dr. McNicholas is ethically against the breeding of hybrid ferrets, she says, “For those people who decide to explore the options, I would say that the common sense rules apply when selecting a [hybrid] kit. Is it healthy? Is it happy to be handled by its owner and by you? Is it full of curiosity and confidence, and ready to explore its surroundings? If so, fine. It may not be a hybrid at all! If so, what are you prepared to pay?” And I dare say that she isn’t just speaking in regards to financial price.
Picturing the Physical Appearance of the Domestic Ferret
Ferrets — those long, slender beauties — come in a variety of colors and patterns. Colors range from the easily recognized albino with her white fur and pink eyes, to the dark-eyed white (DEW) with her white coat and dark eyes, to the darker sables and all shades in between. As if colors weren’t enough, ferrets also come in color patterns, which have to do with color concentrations or placement of white markings. Eye colors, mask shapes, and even nose colorings play roles in how your ferret may be classified. Color, however, should be the last factor in picking out your new ferret.
Ferret people are coming up with more and more definitions of coat colors and patterns all the time (maybe just to confuse the general public!), but many basic colors and patterns are defined for you. I present these in the sections that follow.
The spectrum of fuzzy colors
Every ferret has a color, and in that color is a pattern. Some colors and patterns change from season to season, and others will stay the same. Personally, when it comes to colors, I go by The American Ferret Association Standards. So, unless you bought a neon ferret, your fuzzy will most likely fall into one of the following categories that most ferret enthusiasts seem to agree on. (Note: These colors are show standards, so most ferrets won’t match 100 percent.) Refer to the color photos in the middle of this book to see some of these ferret colors in their full glory!
Remember
Groups of ferret experts argue over the names of shades of sables and silvers. You may find that one group calls one shade a fancy name and another group calls it something different. No matter how many color names the experts come up with, some ferrets will be lighter or darker than what their definitions specify. So, it seems the definitions may never end.
- Albino: Resulting from a lack of pigment in the skin and eyes, albino ferrets range from a creamy white to a preferred snow-white color — both on the guardhairs and undercoat. All albinos have light- to medium-pink eyes, with ruby being preferred, and pink noses.
- Black: The black ferret is absolutely stunning. His guardhairs are truly black in color. His undercoat is white or has a light golden cast, and his eyes are black or near black, with a nose to match. A speckled black nose also is acceptable.
- Black sable: This ferret is such a dark brown that he actually appears black. He has a white or cream undercoat that barely shows through the dark guardhairs. His eyes should be dark brown to near black, with a nose to match. A heavily mottled (marbled), blackish brown nose is acceptable as well.
- Champagne: This ferret is a light to medium tan or a diluted chocolate. His undercoat is white to creamy in color, and his eyes are light to dark burgundy. Like the chocolate, the champagne ferret’s nose should be pink, with or without the brown/beige “T” outline.
- Chocolate: The chocolate ferret’s coat is another shade variation of sable, but in a tasty shade of milk-chocolate brown. The ferret’s undercoat has a golden cast to it or is white. His eyes are almost always brown but can be dark burgundy as well. The chocolate’s nose is pink, with or without the brown “T” outline; it can also be beige or brick in color.
- Cinnamon: The cinnamon’s coat is a very beautiful shade of light reddish brown. His undercoat has a golden cast to it or is white. The ferret’s eyes are light to medium burgundy. His nose may be pink, but a pinkish/beige nose with a brick colored “T” outline (or completely brick-colored nose) is preferred. However, many experts argue that true red cinnamons don’t exist any longer.
- Dark-eyed white (DEW): This category is one of my favorites. These beauties resemble albinos because of their white or creamy coats and pink noses. The exception is their eye color, which is a dark burgundy. The DEW pattern has 10 percent or less colored guardhairs in the form of a stripe, colored tail, spots, or a sprinkling throughout the coat.
Warning!
The DEW ferret and DEW pattern are prone to deafness. Waardensburg Syndrome is a ferret condition that genetically links the white fur on the head to deafness (similar to the condition of deafness in many blue-eyed white cats). In addition to dark-eyed whites, pandas and shetlands/blazes (other ferret pattern types; see the following section) are often prone to deafness, though this isn’t always the case. Note: Deaf ferrets make fine pets if you take extra care to properly train them and be careful not to startle them.
- Sable: This ferret color is probably the most common. The guardhairs are a rich, deep brown, and they’re evenly and densely dispersed. The undercoat on the neck, back, and belly is white or cream colored. The eyes are brown or close to black, and the nose is light or dappled brown. The nose may also have a brown “T” outline.
Jargon Alert
Guardhairs are the stiffer, longer, and more prominent pieces of fur that cover the shorter and softer undercoat. Guardhairs provide the ferret’s coloration or camouflage and aid in waterproofing the fur. The undercoat also act as insulation.
Fuzzy color patterns
Ferret patterns are used to describe color concentrations and white markings on the ferret’s body. With patterns, the main discriminating factors are the legs and tail, or points, and how the point color or mask shape (see below) relates to the rest of the body color. The following list presents the most commonly recognized ferret patterns. Flip to the color photos in the center of this book to see what some of these look like!
- Blaze: These ferrets usually have smudges or rings of color around their eyes rather than masks. Small masks are acceptable, but full masks are not. A white blaze extends from the face up over the head and hopefully down the ferret’s neck to the shoulders. All four of his feet have mitts or white tips; sometimes his knees are also white. Bibs, white or mottled bellies, and roaning may also be present. He should have ruby or brown eyes, and his nose should be pink (with or without a lighter outline).
- Mitts: Ferrets with mitts look like their paws have been dipped in white marshmallow fluff. They also have white bibs. A mitt’s colors and patterns should be appropriate for his standards. The eyes should be a varying shade of burgundy, and the color standard should determine nose color. Knee patches and a tail tip may or may not be present.
- Panda: Ferrets of any color that have white heads, necks, and throats. Some pandas have “rings” around their eyes, which is acceptable; all pandas should have four white mitts (or paws). Bibs and knee patches (yes, ferrets have knees) may be present, as well as a white tip on the tail. His eyes should be a shade of burgundy, and his nose should be pink (with or without a lighter outline).
- Roan: This ferret almost has an even mixture of colored and white guardhairs. Typically, you want to see 50 to 60 percent colored and 40 to 50 percent white hairs. The color and pattern will determine the mask he needs to wear, along with his nose. For instance, a black roan mitt can have a hood or regular mask.
- Siamese or point: These are ferrets of any color that have much darker points than body color. His mask is shaped like a thin letter V. Champagne versions of this ferret may have no mask (see the previous section for more on colors). The nose should be light in color, such as pink or beige, or have a “T” outline.
- Solid: The solid ferret is slightly more concentrated in color than the standard ferret — ideally, 100 percent of the guardhairs will be colored. This means that you can’t distinguish his points from the rest of his body, because the ferret’s outer coat is solid in color. He should have a full T-bar mask and a nose color appropriate for his coat color (see the previous section).
- Standards: This ferret pattern is perhaps the most common. The percentage of colored guardhairs should be approximately 90 to 100 compared to the white guardhairs present. The body appears lighter in color than the points (the legs and tail), which makes the points easily distinguishable from the rest of the body. Standards should have nose colors appropriate for their body colors standard and full or T-bar masks.
Jargon Alert
Hey! Where did my “silver” and “silver mitt” go? The silver, according to The American Ferret Association, is considered a “black roan.” And you guessed it: The silver mitt is now the “black roan mitt.”
Not Just Another Color: The Black-Footed Ferret
The black-footed ferret, known as Mustela nigripes, is a small, carnivorous predator that lives in the wild and weighs between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds (0.7–1.1 kg) — approximately the same size as the mink and our domesticated fuzzy, or slightly larger than the weasel. In captivity, he may live as long as nine years, two to three times longer than expected in the wild. See Figure 2-2 to see what a black-footed ferret looks like. Compare it to Figure 1-1 in Chapter What
You Need to Know About Ferrets to see how different the black-footed ferret looks from the domestic ferret. Refer also to the photo in the color insert.
The black-footed ferret arrived in North America as an efficient predator, but it was in North America that he evolved into the specialized predator of prairie dogs. The black-footed ferret is known to be the only native NorthAmerican ferret and is the smallest of the polecats.
The black-footed ferret is considered by most to be one of the rarest mammals in the United States and perhaps the entire world. What has caused such a skilled hunter and cousin to our domestic ferret to earn such a title? It’s no doubt that the plight of the black-footed ferret was caused both directly and indirectly by the human race. Sadly, his future remains uncertain.
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| Figure 2-2: A blackfooted ferret. |
The one, true North American ferret!
The black-footed ferret adapted in North America long before the ferret was even domesticated. A close relative of the Siberian polecat, mustela eversmanii, the ancestral black-footed ferret is thought to have come from northeast Asia, crossing at the point now known as the Bering Strait, between Russia and Alaska. The actual time period he scampered into North America remains uncertain. The estimates date as far back as 1 million years ago to as recent as 100,000 years ago.
Are black-footed ferrets really that different?
Black-footed ferrets and our domesticated fuzzies share many similar physical features, body size, and behaviors. Skeletally speaking, they’re almost identical. Small differences appear in the skull. The domestic ferret has a shorter and more-rounded head and a slightly smaller nose. The domestic ferret’s smaller ears give it an appearance of having a more pointed snout than the black-footed ferret. Both have strong front paws for digging and burrowing. The black-footed ferret has a more tubular tail unlike the tapered tail of the domestic ferret. It also has noticeably larger nocturnal eyes and broader ears needed for extra keen senses, along with a noticeably longer neck than the domestic ferret.
The black-footed ferret’s nose is almost always solid black. He also always has the distinctive black feet, legs, and tip of tail. While our domestic ferrets can vary a great deal in color, shade, and pattern, only limited variations in shade of body color exist in the black-footed ferret. Always present is a white, cream, or buff full bib and a saddle of brown on his back. The saddle area is filled in with dark-tipped guard hairs that are lighter towards the roots of the hairs. Fur generally becomes lighter in shade towards and on the belly. All areas of brown can vary from light medium to dark depending on season and individual animal. Also very prominent on the black-footed ferret and almost all polecats is a white spot just above the top inner corner of each eye.
Habitat (or is that prairie dog?) destruction
The black-footed ferret’s range was as vast as the prairie dog’s. They thrived only where prairie dogs thrived, covering over 700 million acres. From southern Canada to northern Mexico, the prairie dog colonies were the life source for the black-footed ferret. Making up 90 percent of the black-footed ferret’s diet, the prairie dog also furnished essential burrows, which were vital in providing shelter to the black-footed ferret. These burrows were safe havens that kept out the extreme weather and protected the black-footed ferret from predators. The burrows were also convenient places to whelp and rear offspring safely.
So with the essential presence of millions of prairie dogs inhabiting the territories, what could possibly push the black-footed ferret to the edge of extinction?
The most devastating human actions leading to the demise of the blackfooted ferret weren’t against the ferret at all but, rather, its food source — the prairie dog. Prairie dog colonies were viewed by local residents with extreme abomination for many reasons. Ranchers complained that the colonies competed with the local livestock for vital food. Agriculturists argued that they destroyed the land. As frequent carriers of sylvatic plague, introduced to North America by none other than the human animal, prairie dogs were also considered extreme health risks to nearby humans.
Prairie dogs knew as well as people where the best living environment was. The locals didn’t want their peaceful neighbors, and with the help of the U.S. government, that lead to rapid decimation of prairie dog populations.
The most reckless attack on the prairie dog came in the form of mass poisoning. Cans of cyanide gas were tossed into the burrows, or strychnine pellets were left disguised as treats. Contaminated carcasses were often eaten, which killed unaware diners, including black-footed ferrets, wolves, and eagles to name a few. Other animals inhabiting the burrows fell victim to these cruel assaults as well. The prairie dogs that survived the various strikes lost their habitat to land-clearing machines such as the bulldozer.
Experts estimate that up to 99 percent of the once-vast prairie dog range remains cleared of these peaceful critters, leaving only a few million acres with surviving colonies. In fact, legal poisoning and shooting of prairie dogs continues to this day.
With the black-footed ferret’s food source practically decimated, its demise rapidly grew closer. In 1960, people realized that the black-footed ferret population might be in danger, but by then it was too late. By the mid-1960s, the first in-depth studies began to indicate how grim the future looked for the black-footed ferret. In 1967, the black-footed ferret became legally protected — only 116 years after being given its official scientific name in 1851 by John James Audubon and John Bachman. And in 1973, the black-footed ferret was one of the first animals to be placed on the current Endangered Species List.
The last wild black-footed ferret was initially thought to have been seen in 1974, but a small group was discovered in Wyoming in 1981 after a dog presented an unusual and unfortunately dead animal to its bewildered human. The newly discovered colony flourished and reached almost 130 animals. However, the population was destroyed by 1985. Turns out that 50 percent of the prairie dog population feeding this hopeful Wyoming ferret colony tested positive for the rodent-decimating sylvatic plague, known to humans as bubonic plague, killing both prairie dogs and ferrets.
Even more tragic was the fact that canine distemper, 100 percent fatal to black-footed ferrets, swept through the fragile group. This was as big a factor in wiping out the black-footed ferret as was plague. The race was then on to capture the remaining wild black-footed ferrets. There we were! Only eighteen ferrets were left in 1987. They stood on the brink of extinction again. Between 1985 and 1987, the very last 18 black-footed ferrets were rescued. The lastknown wild ferret was taken alive in February 1987 in Wyoming — that is, before the reintroduction of the critters began taking place.
The Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Plan
The monumental goal of the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Plan, developed and approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1988, is to establish no less than ten geographically separate populations of wild, self-sustaining black-footed ferrets. This plan calls for the establishment of 1,500 breeding wild black-footed ferrets in order for the species to be removed from the endangered species list.
With the dedicated help of member organizations of The Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team (BFFRIT), created in 1996, this goal is slowly being recognized. These organizations work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and act as advisory teams. According to their Web site, www.blackfootedferret.org: “Through a team effort, the agencies and partners involved on the Black-footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team will promote strategic public awareness, understanding, and support, resulting in the successful recovery of the black-footed ferret and the conservation of the ecosystem upon which it depends.”
Once thought to be extinct in 1980, more than 5,000 have been produced in captivity since 1987. Responsible for this are: Louisville Zoo, Toronto Zoo, The National Zoo, The Phoenix Zoo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and The National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center. More than 2,500 have been released into the wild since 1991. Approximately 700 exist today. The people responsible for the Recovery Program have gained a greater understanding of captive breeding and have even begun to use such means as artificial insemination (AI). Maybe that number will double or even triple in another 25 years.
Captive breeding
Only since 1991 have attempts been made to reintroduce this species into the wild through captive-breeding efforts. In the beginning, these efforts were met with sobering obstacles. From the limited gene pool of only 18 captive black-footed ferrets, to the inability to successfully rehabilitate captivereared juveniles into the wild, to the lack of habitat for release, the future looked grim for the black-footed ferret.
Today things are looking up because much has been learned about raising black-footed ferrets in captivity. Although black-footed ferrets retain some instincts, such as killing and eating prairie dogs, burrowing, and recognizing and avoiding predators, those instincts aren’t as sharp as they would be had they been born in the wild. After all, they’ve been in captivity for 20 years!
For this reason, captive-born kits are now sent to survival boot camp for a month and a half to learn how to survive in the wild. Living in semi-natural, but protected, communities, the ferrets are allowed to sharpen their skills by interacting with live prairie dogs and living in real burrows. Preconditioning routines and procedures such as these have increased the survival rate of captive-born kits released into the wild threefold. Additionally, some sites have even been successful at transferring wild ferrets from one site to another, which is important for maintaining genetic distribution.
Progress being made
In the beginning years, only three states participated in releases: Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana. Today things are quite different. In the U.S., there are now 10 different black-footed ferret reintroduction sites located in six different states: Arizona, Colorado, Utah, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. Mexico also participates in the reintroduction project. Currently Kansas and Canada are being pursued as possible sites, and the list is growing. The sites must be located where significant prairie dog towns still exist, so this means mainly federal, state, and tribal lands.
Hurdles in recovery
Nothing worth doing is ever easy. Some things are in man’s control, while other things aren’t. Although significant progress has been made in The Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Plan, several challenges still remain. Unfortunately, all must be conquered in order to win the battle of the blackfooted ferret.
- Political: This is perhaps the biggest and longest-standing threat facing the black-footed ferret. It’s not even against the ferret itself, but rather against its food source — the prairie dog. The biggest myth is that livestock suffer broken legs from stepping in prairie dog burrows. The fact is, cows aren’t that stupid.
People also don’t want their livestock competing for grassland. There are even state laws that mandate you eradicate prairie dogs from your land. The county will do it if you don’t and then send you a bill later! Political pressure still exists to poison prairie dogs even on America’s public lands. No prairie dogs. No food. No ferrets.
- Biological: Black-footed ferrets are highly susceptible to both plague and also canine distemper. With the exception of South Dakota, which has never had plague, all states have had outbreaks in prairie dogs. The Recovery Program is currently experimenting with a human plague vaccine to protect the black-footed ferret. Each ferret caught is given a series of two shots over a two week period. Although this vaccinates the ferrets, it doesn’t help the prairie dogs. So, they hope to come up with an oral vaccine to mass vaccinate the prairie dogs.
- Economic: This hurdle comes up almost everywhere help is needed. There simply isn’t enough money to keep people in place to do what’s needed. Finding more sites to put ferrets on also takes money, and raising money takes money. Without funding, the Recovery Program is doomed.
- Social: Public awareness and education are missing components to the recovery program. How can anyone help a program they don’t understand or even know about? Most people don’t even know what a blackfooted ferret even is. Says Travis Livieri of Prairie Wildlife Research, “Wolves and grizzlies are two of the most widely recognized and celebrated endangered species, but nowhere as near as endangered as black-footed ferrets.” The people responsible for the Recovery Program need to do more public outreach. They need to view education as being as important as the recovery process itself.
Black-footed ferrets are one of the most recoverable species on the endangered species list. They’re the “panda” of the prairie. The prairie dog is the keystone of the prairie. By preserving the prairie dog ecosystem, we’re not only saving the black-footed ferret, we’re also saving the swift fox, burrowing owl, ferruginous hawks, and mountain plover. They’re all directly linked to prairie dogs. Bison and antelope also thrive in the prairie dog ecosystem. You can make a difference in saving these animals.
Although the government recognizes that the survival of the black-footed ferret depends directly on the survival of prairie dog colonies, the government continues to support the mass killing of prairie dogs. It’s possible that because the black-footed ferret is a specialized hunter and hasn’t adapted to an alternate diet, people may soon lose these beautiful critters forever.
So, what can you do? First, you can learn about the prairie — what it is and its history. Did you know that you own a part of the prairie? It doesn’t matter where you live! Find out which zoos have black-footed ferrets, and visit one of these magnificent creatures. Write to or call your local conservation office to find out how you can become directly involved in the fight to save your local prairies. And if you live in a state where prairie dogs reside, step forward and take action. Find out what you can do to help protect the prairie dog’s future. And don’t forget, you can go to www.blackfootedferret.org and cyber adopt a black-footed ferret today!
by Kim Schilling
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