THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BLACK-FOOTED AND DOMESTIC FERRETS

Happy National Ferret Day.

At Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, we're big fans of both black-footed ferrets and domestic ferrets.

This is Alfred. He's a domestic ferret here in our Loft at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

This is Rouge, a black-footed ferret also on display in the Loft.

Even though they might physically look similar and sometimes share the same coloring, they actually have a lot of differences.

Domestic ferrets like Alfred are of European origin and have been domesticated for many years.

Black-footed ferrets are the only ferret native to North America and once thrived across grass prairies from Canada to Mexico.

Wild European ferrets are more opportunistic and tend to live in various dens whereas black-footed ferrets only live in the underground boroughs of prairie dogs.

Black-footed ferrets are nocturnal whereas domestic fears are crepuscular or active at dawn and dusk.

Black-footed ferrets, due to eating larger prey, have bigger canines versus the domestic ferret. Because black-footed ferrets eat large prey, they have a large range of motion in their jaw.

Black-footed ferrets were thought to be extinct until the mid-1980s when only 18 ferrets remained. Their decline is due to habitat loss, the introduction of plague and the extermination of their main food source, prairie dogs.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has partnered with zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and other organizations to help breed release and monitor ferrets release back out into the wild.

Since 1991, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo has bred 589 kits and are behind the scenes conservation center. About half of those have been reintroduced out into the wild and the other half remained for future breeding. The zoo has helped fund their long-term conservation projects including this black-footed ferret breed and release program.

Your support allows us to continue this important work which we're hopeful it'll help us celebrate the future of all kinds for many generations to come.

Happy National Ferret Day.