Historical and Present Status of the Black-Footed Ferret
نویسندگان
چکیده
—The black-footed ferret (Mustela nlgrlpes) was once widely distributed in the Great Plains and intermountain valleys of North America, its range overlapping the combined ranges of several species of prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.). Most life history information has been obtained from studies of ferrets in southwestern South Dakota (1964-1974) and studies near Meeteetse, Wyoming (1981-present). The ferret's nearly complete dependence on prairie dogs was documented in both study areas. The recent collapse of the Meeteetse population of ferrets due to an outbreak of canine distemper underscores the threat posed by this disease, but reductions of prairie dogs by man and other diseases are also potentially harmful. Eighteen animals are being held for captive breeding, no free-ranging ferrets have been located, and species recovery seems dependent on captive propagation and releases.
منابع مشابه
Genetic diversity and fitness in black-footed ferrets before and during a bottleneck.
The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is an endangered North American carnivore that underwent a well-documented population bottleneck in the mid-1980s. To better understand the effects of a bottleneck on a free-ranging carnivore population, we used 24 microsatellite loci to compare genetic diversity before versus during the bottleneck, and compare the last wild population to two historica...
متن کاملPlague in a black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes).
Diagnosis of sylvatic plague in a captive black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) was based on gross and microscopic lesions, fluorescent antibody tests, culture of Yersinia pestis, and immunohistochemistry. Gross lesions consisted of acute hemorrhage and necrosis associated with cervical and mesenteric lymph nodes, subcutaneous hemorrhages, and pulmonary edema. Acute edema, hemorrhage, and necr...
متن کاملSpatial Optimization of Prairie Dog Colonies for Black-Footed Ferret Recovery
A discrete-time reaction-diffusion model for black-footed ferret release, population growth, and dispersal is combined with ferret carrying capacity constraints based on prairie dog population management decisions to form a spatial optimization model. Spatial arrangement of active prairie dog colonies within a ferret reintroduction area is optimized over time for maximum expected adult ferret p...
متن کامل