In Texas, animal or plant species of conservation concern may be listed as threatened or endangered under the authority of state law and/or under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Species may be listed as state threatened or endangered and not federally listed. The state list deals only with the status of the species within Texas. A federal listing means that an animal is in decline throughout its entire range which may encompass several other states or nations. This series includes wildlife which may be close to extinction and is comprised of birds, fish, invertebrates, mammals, plants, amphibians and reptiles.
Black-footed Ferret (Mustela Nigripes)
Texas Status: Endangered.
U.S. Status: Endangered, Listed 3/11/1967
Description: The Black-footed Ferret has a long, slender body with short legs. Its fur is a light brown color, with dark brown or black legs and feet and a black-tipped tail. Its face is distinctively marked with white fur and a black, raccoon-like mask.
Life History: Black-footed Ferrets rely on prairie dogs for food and shelter. Prairie dogs make up 90% of their diet. Scientists estimate that over 100 million acres of western rangelands were occupied by prairie dogs in the early 1900's. Much of this area was also occupied by Black-footed Ferrets. Ferrets hunt mostly at night, so they are rarely seen. They live in burrows made by prairie dogs. It takes about 100 acres of prairie dog colony to support one ferret family (a female and her young). Predators such as owls, eagles, hawks, Coyotes, badgers, foxes, and Bobcats are the main cause of death for wild ferrets.
Black-footed Ferrets are endangered because much of the shortgrass prairie habitat on which the ferrets depend has been plowed for crops. Prairie dogs, which are the ferrets' main food, have been reduced in number due to habitat loss and disease. Prairie dogs have been killed because they eat grass used by livestock or winter wheat grown as a crop.
Habitat: Shortgrass prairies are ideal habitat in which Black-footed Ferrets are found.
Distribution: Historically, the Black-footed Ferret occurred in the High Plains, Rolling Plains, and Trans-Pecos regions of North America. Black-footed Ferrets have not been seen in Texas since 1963; wild populations exist in Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana.
Other: Ferrets are susceptible to canine distemper, to which they have no natural immunity.
Because this series is quite a distance from my house, maintenance is rather difficult. Log's get wet, containers break, and sometimes caches just flat go missing. If you dont find the cache, and believe it to be gone, or it needs maintenance, please feel free to make it whole again. As a thank you, you may add a second log to any that you do maintenance on. And thanks for the help.