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Animal Size

Black-footed ferret size: How big do they get?

How big does a Black-footed ferret get? Here is an overview over the average adult age:

A grown Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) reaches an average size of 39.7 cm (1′ 4″).

When born, they have an average size of 0 cm (0′ 0″). During their lifetime of about 12 years, they grow from 7 grams (0.02 lbs) to 907 grams (2 lbs). A Black-footed ferret has 3 babies at once. The Black-footed ferret (genus: Mustela) is a member of the family Mustelidae.

As a reference: Humans reach an average body size of 1.65m (5′ 5″) while carrying 62 kg (137 lbs). A human woman is pregnant for 280 days (40 weeks) and on average become 75 years old.

The average adult size of a Black-footed ferret is (1' 4

The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), also known as the American polecat or prairie dog hunter, is a species of mustelid native to central North America. It is listed as endangered by the IUCN, because of its very small and restricted populations. The species declined throughout the 20th century, primarily as a result of decreases in prairie dog populations and sylvatic plague. It was declared extinct in 1979 until Lucille Hogg’s dog brought a dead black-footed ferret to her door in Meeteetse, Wyoming, in 1981. That remnant population of a few dozen ferrets lasted there until the animals were considered extinct in the wild in 1987. However, a captive-breeding program launched by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service resulted in its reintroduction into eight western US states, Canada, and Mexico from 1991 to 2009. Now, over 1,000 mature, wild-born individuals are in the wild across 18 populations, with five self-sustaining populations in South Dakota (two), Arizona, and Wyoming. It was first listed as “endangered” in 1982, then listed as “extinct in the wild” in 1996 before being downgraded back to “endangered” in 2008.The black-footed ferret is roughly the size of a mink, and differs from the European polecat by the greater contrast between its dark limbs and pale body and the shorter length of its black tail-tip. In contrast, differences between the black-footed ferret and the steppe polecat of Asia are slight, to the point where the two species were once thought to be conspecific. The only noticeable differences between the black-footed ferret and the steppe polecat are the former’s much shorter and coarser fur, larger ears, and longer postmolar extension of the palate.It is largely nocturnal and solitary, except when breeding or raising litters. Up to 91% of its diet is composed of prairie dogs.The black‐footed ferret experienced a recent population bottleneck in the wild followed by a more than 30-year recovery through ex situ breeding and then reintroduction into its native range. As such, this sole endemic North American ferret allows examining the impact of a severe genetic restriction on subsequent biological form and function, especially on reproductive traits and success. The black‐footed ferret was listed as endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1967. Declared extinct in 1979, a residual wild population was discovered in Meeteetse, Wyoming, in 1981. This cohort eventually grew to 130 individuals and was then nearly extirpated by sylvatic plague Yersinia pestis and canine distemper virus Canine morbillivirus, with eventually 18 animals remaining. These survivors were captured from 1985 to 1987 to serve as the foundation for the black‐footed ferret ex situ breeding program. Seven of those 18 animals produced offspring that survived and reproduced, and with currently living descendants, are the ancestors of all black‐footed ferrets now in the ex situ (about 320) and in situ (about 300) populations.

Animals of the same family as a Black-footed ferret

We found other animals of the Mustelidae family:

Animals with the same size as a Black-footed ferret

Not that size really matters, but it makes things comparable. So here are a couple of animals that are as big as Black-footed ferret:

Animals with the same litter size as a Black-footed ferret

Here is a list of animals that have the same number of babies per litter (3) as a Black-footed ferret:

Animals with the same life expectancy as a Black-footed ferret

Completely different animals, but becoming as old as a Black-footed ferret:

Animals with the same weight as a Black-footed ferret

As a comparison, here are some other animals that weight as much as the Mustela nigripes: