Adopt the black-footed ferret
Mustela nigripes
Critically Imperiled according to NatureServe
Habitat: Grasslands, steppe, and shrub steppe with underground burrows.
Diet: Prairie dogs are an important food source; other small mammals when necessary.
Behavior: Extremely elusive due to being nocturnal and mostly underground.
The black-footed ferret is a charismatic and sly member of the weasel family that once ranged broadly across the grasslands of west-central North America, from southern Canada to northern Mexico. It is the only ferret species native to the Americas. Today, due to numerous threats including the eradication of prey species, no self-sustaining wild populations of the iconic black-footed ferret remain. This endangered species is now slowly making a comeback thanks to careful reintroduction programs and increased awareness of its plight. They are listed as endangered on the U.S. Endangered Species List. NatureServe ranks black-footed ferrets as critically imperiled (G1).
Photo by Kimberly Fraser, USFWS.
What You'll Get With Your Adoption
For a contribution of $25 or more, you are helping to protect our precious biodiversity. Your adoption will help update the featured species on NatureServe Explorer with an image and a description. You will receive a certificate of adoption, an Adopt-a-Species sticker, and a digital wallpaper of your species. Plus, next year you can vote on the new featured species for adoption!
Adopt a species for yourself or a loved one! Adoptions can be great way to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, or holidays. When you gift a species, you’ll have the option to send the recipient a note letting them know of your thoughtful gesture.
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