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              • Species - Black-footed Ferret - Mustela nigripes
Black-footed Ferret - Mustela nigripes

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General Description
We do not have this species in our Field Guide.  Please try the buttons above to search for information from other sources.

National Vegetation Classification System Groups Associated with this Species
Forest and Woodland
Low Elevation - Xeric Forest and Woodland
Great Plains Ponderosa Pine Forest and Woodland HGCN
Rocky Mountain Ponderosa Pine Forest and Woodland HGCN
Shrubland
Arid - Saline Shrubland
Gardner's Saltbush - Bird's-foot Sage Dwarf-Shrubland
Sagebrush Shrubland
Basin and Wyoming Big (Threetip) Sagebrush Shrubland HOC HGCN
Grassland
Lowland - Prairie Grassland
Great Plains Dry Mixedgrass Prairie HGCN
Great Plains Mesic Mixedgrass Prairie HOC HGCN
Great Plains Sand Prairie HOPC HGCN
Great Plains Solonetzic Grassland HOPC
Semi-Desert Grassland HOC
Sparse and Barren
Sparse and Barren
Great Plains Sparsely-Vegetated Badlands
Wetland and Riparian
Alkaline - Saline Wetlands
Greasewood Shrubland HGCN
Intermountain Alkaline - Saline Grassland and Meadow HOPC HGCN

References
  • Literature Cited AboveLegend:   View Online Publication
    • Foresman, K.R. 2012. Mammals of Montana. Second edition. Mountain Press Publishing, Missoula, Montana. 429 pp.
    • Forrest, S. C., D. E. Biggins, L. Richardson, T. W. Clark, T. M. Campbell III, K. A. Fagerstone, and E. T. Thorne. 1988. Population attributes for the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) at Meeteetse, Wyoming, 1981-1985. Journal of Mammalogy 69:261-273.
    • Hillman, C. N. and T. W. Clark. 1980. Mustela nigripes. American Society of Mammalogists, Lawrence, KS. Mammalian Species Number 126:1-3.
    • Miller, B., R.P. Reading, and S. Forrest. 1996. Prairie night: black-footed ferrets and the recovery of endangered species. Smithsonian Institute Press. Washington D.C. 320 pp.
    • Richardson, L. 1986. On the track of the last black-footed ferrets. Natural History 95(2):69-77.
  • Additional ReferencesLegend:   View Online Publication
    Do you know of a citation we're missing?
    • Andersen, K. W., and J. K. Jones, Jr. 1971. Mammals of northwestern South Dakota. Univ. Kan Mus. Nat. Hist. Pub. 19:361-393.
    • Anderson, E., S.C. Forrest, T.W. Clark, and L. Richardson. 1986. Paleobiology, biogeography, and systematics of the black-footed ferret, Mustela nigripes (Audubon and Bachman), 1851. pp. 11-62 In: S.L. Wood (ed). Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs: The Black-footed Ferret. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University. 208 p.
    • Anderson, M.E. et al. 1978. Black-footed ferret recovery plan. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Black-footed ferret Recovery Team. 150 p.
    • Anderson, N.J. and R.P. Stoneberg. 1996. Disease surveillance of coyotes (Canis latrans) removed from the 1995 black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) reintroduction site, UL Bend NWR.
    • Biggins, D. and M.H. Schroeder. 1988. Historical and present status of the black-footed ferret. Pages 93-97 in G. L. Shenbeck and R. Lifkin, eds. Proc. eighth Great Plains wildlife damage control workshop. U.S. For. Serv. Gen. Tech. Rep. RM-154.
    • Biggins, D., Miller, B., L. Hanebury, B. Oakleaf, A. Farmer, R. Crete, and A. Dood. 1992. A system for evaluating black-footed ferret habitat. Ft. Collins, CO: USFWS, National Ecology Research Center. 57 p.
    • Black-footed Ferret Connections. History of the black-footed ferret (timeline). Accessed 17 June 2002. https://blackfootedferret.org/history/
    • Boulerice, J., K. Bly, S. Jepson, P. Mahoney, J. Alexander, T. Messerly, and H. Shamon. 2025. Detection of the endangered Black-footed Ferret Mustela nigripes using thermal-infrared cameras. Endangered Species Research. Vol. 56:135-144.
    • Brigham Young University. 1986. The black-footed ferret. Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs No. 8:1-208.
    • Buck, C.L. 1939. Pattern correlation of mammalian teeth as a means of identification. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, Montana: Montana State University. 55 p.
    • Cada, J.,T. Campbell, T. Clark, and D. Flath. 1984. The role of landowner cooperation in black-footed ferret recovery. Pp. 18-23 in A. Dood, comp., Agriculture and Wildlife. Proc. Mont. Chapt., The Wildl. Soc., Butte. 85 pp.
    • Clark, T.W. 1989. Conservation biology of the Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes). Wildlife Preservation Trust, Special Scientific Report No. 3. 175 p.
    • Clark, T.W., J. Grensten, M. Gorges, R. Crete, and J. Gill. 1987. Analysis of black-footed ferret translocation sites in Montana. The Prairie Naturalist 19(1):43-56.
    • COSEWIC 2000. COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Black-Footed Ferret Mustela nigripes in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. VI + 9 Pp.
    • COSEWIC. 1978. Saskatchewan Department of Tourism and Renewable Resources. COSEWIC Status Report on the Black-Footed Ferret Mustela nigripes in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. 1-9 Pp.
    • Crabb, W.D. and G.W. Watson. 1950. General Notes: Black-footed ferret in Montana. Journal of Mammalogy 31(1):99.
    • Dood, A.R. 1986. Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) survey and inventory. Job Progress Report. Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks, Proj. No. SE-1 Job No. 3. 10 p.
    • Federal Register 1996. EPA: Federal Register: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants Establishment. 20 March 1996.
    • Federal Register, 1 October 1998. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-footed Ferrets in Northwestern Colorado and Northeastern Utah.
    • Federal Register, 11 September 2002. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Proposed Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-footed Ferrets in South-central South Dakota.
    • Federal Register, 13 October 2000. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-footed Ferrets in North-Central South Dakota.
    • Federal Register, 18 August 1994. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-footed Ferrets in North-Central Montana; Final Rule. Federal Register 59(159):42696-42715.
    • Federal Register, 29 April 1997. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Proposed Establishment of a Nonessential Experimental Population of Black-footed Ferrets in Northwestern Colorado and Northeastern Utah.
    • Fish and Wildlife Service. 1993. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants: proposed establishment of a nonessential experimantal population of black-footed ferrets in north-central Montana. Federal Register 58(69):19221-19231.
    • Flath, D. L. 1976. The black-footed ferret. Montana Outdoors 7:8-10.
    • Flath, D. L. and T. W. Clark. 1984. Montana: crucial key to ferret recovery. Defenders. Sep/Oct 1984 59(4):3034.
    • Flath, D. L., and T. W. Clark. 1989. America's most endangered mammal: the effort to save the black-footed ferret. Bison (Brookfield Zoo) 4: 18-23.
    • Flath, D. L.. and T. W. Clark. 1984. Montana: Crucial key to ferret recovery. Montana Outdoors 15(3):34-37.
    • Flath, D.L. 1978. Black-footed ferret inventory and management development plan for southeastern Montana. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. 10 pp.
    • Flath, D.L. 1979. Nongame species of special interest or concern: Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes. Wildlife Division, Montana Department of Fish and Game. Helena, MT.
    • Flath, D.L. and T.W. Clark. 1986. Historic status of black-footed ferret habitat in Montana. pp. 63-71 In: S.L. Wood (ed). Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs: The Black-footed Ferret. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University. 208 pp.
    • Foresman, K.R. 2001. The wild mammals of Montana. American Society of Mammalogists, Special Publication Number 12. Lawrence, KS. 278 pp.
    • Godbey, J. and D. Biggins. 1994. Recovery of the Black-footed Ferret: Looking Back, Looking Forward. Endangered Species Technical Bulletin 19(1): 10, 13.
    • Greenwalt, L. A., 1978, Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Plan
    • Herman, M. and E.E. Willard. 1977. Black-footed ferret and its habitat. U.S. Forest Service, Region 1 and MT Forest and Conservation Experiment Station, UM Forestry School. 12 p.
    • Hoffmann, R.S. and D.L. Pattie. 1968. A guide to Montana mammals: identification, habitat, distribution, and abundance. Missoula, MT: University of Montana. 133 p.
    • Hoffmann, R.S., P.L. Wright, and F.E. Newby. 1969. The distribution of some mammals in Montana. I. Mammals other than bats. Journal of Mammalogy 50(3): 579-604.
    • Howard, T. 1985. Distemper takes toll of ferrets. Billings, MT: Billings Gazette. 25 October 1985. pp. 1 and 18A.
    • Johnson, C.M. 2002. Effects of black-tailed prairie dogs on the mixed-grass prairie in Montana. M.Sc. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 89 p.
    • Jones, J.K., D.M. Armstrong, R.S. Hoffmann and C. Jones. 1983. Mammals of the northern Great Plains. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln. 379 pp.
    • Joslin, Gayle, and Heidi B. Youmans. 1999. Effects of recreation on Rocky Mountain wildlife: a review for Montana. [Montana]: Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
    • Kotynski, T. 1977. Montana may have a ferret in its future. Great Falls, MT: Great Falls Tribune. 28 October 1977.
    • Lampe, R.P., J.K. Jones Jr., R.S. Hoffmann, and E.C. Birney. 1974. The mammals of Carter County, southeastern Montana. Occa. Pap. Mus. Nat. Hist. Univ. Kan. 25:1-39.
    • Linder, R.L. and C.N. Hillman. 1973. Proceedings of the black-footed ferret and prairie dog workshop, September 4-6. Rapid City, SD: South Dakota State University. 208 p.
    • Linder, Rayond L., and Conrad N. Hillman, 1973, Proceedings of the Black-footed Ferret and Prairie Dog Workshop, September 4-6, 1973. Rapid City, South Dakota.
    • Madson, C. 1985. Ferrets need your help. Wyoming Wildlife 49(11):10-13.
    • Maguire, L.A., T.W. Clark, R. Crete, J. Cada, C. Groves, M.L. Shaffer, and U.S. Seal. 1988. Black-footed ferret recovery in Montana: a decision analysis. Wildlife Society Bulletin 16:111-120.
    • Marston, B. 1986. Ferret colony edges closer to extinction. High Country News Vol. 18, 20 January 1986.
    • Martin, P. R. 1978. Black-footed ferret inventory and management development plan for southeastern Montana. Montana Dep. Fish and Game, Helena.
    • Matchett, M.R., T.R. Stanley, M.F. Mccollister, D.A. Eads, J.T. Boulerice, and D.E. Biggins. 2021. Oral sylvatic plague vaccine does not adequately protect prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) for endangered black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) conservation. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases 21(12):1-20.
    • Matchett, R. 1999. Black-footed ferret recovery activities on the UL Bend and Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuges, Phillips County, Montana. Lewistown, MT: USFWS, 1998 Annual Report and 5-Year Summary. 38 p.
    • Mead, E.M. and J.I. Mead. 1989. Snake Creek burial cave and a review of the Quaternary mustelids of the Great Basin. Great Basin Naturalist 49(2):143-154.
    • Miller, B., C. Wemmer, D. Biggins, and R. Reading. 1990. A proposal to conserve black-footed ferrets and the prairie dog ecosystem. Environmental Management 14(6):763-769.
    • Miller, B.J., G.E. Menkens, and S.H. Anderson. 1984. A field habitat model for black-footed ferrets [draft]. Paper presented at 8th Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop at Rapid City, SD: April 28-30. 4 p.
    • Mont. Dept. of Agriculture., 1985, Controlling burrowing rodents with burrow fumigants. Inform. Bul. No. 6.
    • Mont. Dept. of Agriculture., 1985?, Prairie dog control bulletin.
    • Montana Prairie Dog Working Group. 2002. Conservation plan for black-tailed and white-tailed prairie dogs in Montana. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Helena MT. 51 pp.
    • MT Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 1992. North central Montana black-footed ferret reintroduction. Helena, MT: Final environmental assessment, in cooperation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 29 p.
    • MTFWP; MT Prairie Dog and Black-footed Ferret Working Group. 2021. Montana Black-footed Ferret Conservation and Management Guidelines. 40pp.
    • Multiple Authors. 1992. Abstracts from Montana Rare Animal Meeting. Lewistown, MT. November 5-6, 1992. 20 p.
    • N.Y. Times News Service. 1984. Count finds 128 rare ferrets. Helena, MT: Independent Record. 9 September 1984.
    • Oldemeyer, J.L., D.E. Biggins, B.J. Miller, and R. Crete, editors. 1993. Proc. of the symposium on the management of prairie dog complexes for the reintroduction of the black-footed ferret. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. Biol. Rep., No. 13. 96 pp.
    • Olinger, J.M. 1988. Rare ferrets spotted in Waterton. Great Falls, MT: Great Falls Tribune. 29 June 1988. pp. 1A-2A.
    • Owen, P. R., C. J. Bell, and E. M. Mead. 2000. Fossils, diet, and conservation of black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes). Journal of Mammalogy 81:422-433.
    • Parker, L. 1985. The Montana black-footed ferret recovery project. Produced by MTFWP, BIA, BLM, Turner Foundation, USFWS, Yellowstone Valley Audubon Society. 8 p.
    • Plumb, G. E., B. Bessken, and P. Marinari. 1995. Reopening a niche at Badlands National Park: the black-footed ferret. Park Science 15(2):1, 16-18.
    • Randall, D. 1986. Defenders special report: survival crisis at Meeteetse. Defenders 61(1):4-10.
    • Reading, R. P. and T. W. Clark. 1990. Black-footed ferret annotated bibliography, 1986-1990. Montana BLM Wildlife Technical Bulletin No. 3, Billings. 22 pp.
    • Reading, R.P. and S.R. Kellert. 1993. Attitudes toward a proposed reintroduction of black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes). Conservation Biology 7(3):569-580.
    • Reid, F. 2006. Peterson Field Guide to Mammals of North America, 4th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston and New York, 608 pp.
    • Rickart, E.A. 1987. Spermophilus townsendii. Mammalian Species 268:1-6.
    • Snow, C. 1972. Habitat management series for endangered species. Report No. 2. Black-footed Ferret (Mustela Nigripes). USDI Bureau of Land Management Tech. Note 168. 23 p.
    • The Montana Black-footed Ferret Recovery Project. 1999. Ferret facts. Malta, MT: Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge Vol. 4(1). 7 p.
    • The Montana Black-footed Ferret Recovery Project. 2000. Ferret Facts Vol. 6(1) Malta, MT: Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge. 4 p.
    • The Montana Black-footed Ferret Recovery Project.1999. Ferret facts. Malta, MT: Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge Vol. 4(2). 3 p.
    • Thorne, E. T., and E. S. Williams. 1988. Disease and endangered species: the black-footed ferret as a recent example. Conservation Biology 2:66-74.
    • Titus, K.L. and D.S. Jachowski. 2021. Persistent negative stakeholder perspectives limit recovery of a critically endangered carnivore. Conservation Science and Practice. DOI: 10.1111/csp2.526.
    • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service., 1984, Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, Montana: Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
    • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service., 1985, Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, Montana: Final Environmental Impact Statement.
    • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1988. Black-footed ferret recovery plan, Second Revision. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, Colorado. 154 pp.
    • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1980. Management of Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. Draft. Reprint
    • US Fish and Wildlife Service. 2013. Recovery plan for the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), Third Revision. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, Colorado. 157 pp.
    • US Fish and Wildlife Service. 2025. US Fish and Wildlife Service 5-year status review for Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes).
    • Waterton Lakes National Park. Waterton officials unsure if sightings are related species. Great Falls, MT: Great Falls Tribune. 30 June 1988. pp. 1A-2A.
    • Wildlife Biologist, Fort Belknap Indian Community. 1999. 1999 Black-footed ferret reintroduction activities on Fort Belknap Reservation. Permit Report 23 December 1999. 7 p.
    • Wyoming Fish and Game Department. 1985. Ferret update. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter (special update). 2 p.
    • Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 1984. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter Vol. 1 Spring. 4 p.
    • Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 1984. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter Vol. 1 Winter. 4 p.
    • Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 1985. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter Vol. 2(2) Spring. 4 p.
    • Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 1985. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter Vol. 2(3) Summer. 4 p.
    • Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 1986. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter Vol. 3(1) Winter. 4 p.
    • Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 1986. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter Vol. 3(2) Spring. 4 p.
    • Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 1986. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter Vol. 3(3) Summer. 4 p.
    • Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 1986. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter Vol. 3(4) Fall. 4 p.
    • Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 1987. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter Vol. 4(1) Winter. 4 p.
    • Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 1987. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter Vol. 4(2) Spring. 4 p.
    • Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 1987. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter Vol. 4(3) Summer. 4 p.
    • Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 1988. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter Vol. 5(1) Spring/Summer. 6 p.
    • Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 1989. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter Vol. 6(1) Winter. 6 p.
    • Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 1989. The Black-footed Ferret Newsletter Vol. 6(2) Summer. 4 p.
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Citation for data on this website:
Black-footed Ferret — Mustela nigripes.  Montana Field Guide.  .  Retrieved on , from