The black-footed ferret has a tan body with black legs and feet, a black tip on the tail and a black mask. The ferret has short legs with large front paws and claws developed for digging. Its large skull and strong jaw and teeth are adapted for eating meat.
Diet: Prairie dogs make up more than 90 % if the black-footed ferret's diet. A ferret might eat more than 100 prairie dogs a year. They are also known to eat ground squirrels and other small rodents as well as rabbits and small birds.
Once lived on black-tailed prairie dog colonies across the Great Plains from southern Canada to northern Mexico and on white-tailed and Gunnison's prairie dog colonies across the Intermountain West
These weasels spend 90% of their time underground. They eat, sleep and raise their young in empty prairie dog burrows. They are nocturnal and hunt at night.
Their young remain blind and helpless till they are about 2 months old. At two months old the mother starts teaches her young kits how to hunt and separates the kits into different burrows
Mating Season: March to April
Gestation: 41-43 days. Kits ar born in May or June
Litter size: about 3 or 4 in some cases can be up to 7 kits
Height: 6 inches
Length: 18-24 inches (including a 5-6 inch tail)
Weight: 1.5-2.5 lbs; males slightly larger than females
Lifespan: 3-4 years in the wild; 8-9 years in captivity
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Endless Ocean
General FictionA deeper look into underwater life. The photos . Animal facts are non-fiction. Character surprises are fictional. Enjoy!
