Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs Volume 8 The Black-footed Ferret Article 3 5-1-1986 Paleobiology, biogeography, and systematics of the black-footed ferret, Mustela nigripes (Audubon and Bachman), 1851 Elaine Anderson 730 Magnolia Street, Denver, Colorado 80220 Steven C. Forrest Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho 83209, and Biota Research and Consulting Inc., Box 2705, Jackson, Wyoming 83001 Tim W. Clark Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho 83209, and Biota Research and Consulting Inc., Box 2705, Jackson, Wyoming 83001 Louise Richardson Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho 83209, and Biota Research and Consulting Inc., Box 2705, Jackson, Wyoming 83001 Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbnm Recommended Citation Anderson, Elaine; Forrest, Steven C.; Clark, Tim W.; and Richardson, Louise (1986) "Paleobiology, biogeography, and systematics of the black-footed ferret, Mustela nigripes (Audubon and Bachman), 1851," Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs: Vol. 8 , Article 3. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbnm/vol8/iss1/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. PALEOBIOLOGY, BIOGEOGRAPHY, AND SYSTEMATICS OF THE BLACK-FOOTED FERRET, MUSTELA NIGRIPES (AUDUBON AND BACHMAN), 1851 Elaine Anderson', Steven C. Forrest", Tim W. Clark," and Louise Richardson" Abstract. — Extensive literature review and 48 mammal collections containing recent specimens of the endangered ferret black-footed {Mustela nigripes) are used to characterize historic distribution of the species. Specimens (n = 120) were measured from eight collections to characterize black-footed ferret morphology and variation. Twenty-one Pleistocene and Holocene faunas in North America show ferrets dating to 100,000 yr B.P. Recent specimens (n = 412) indicate close association with prairie the dog {Cynomys spp. ) and suggest ferrets may have been less rare than previously thought. At least 103 (25%) of all specimens were taken by federal predator and rodent control agents, and males outnumber females in collections 2.04:1. Average and extreme measurement for external, cranial, and postcra- nial dimensions are tabulated. Ferrets show a high degree of sexual dimoqihism, with discriminant analysis correctly classifying 95% of all specimens to sex. Ferrets also exhibit north-south clinal variation in size, but they do not appear to exhibit variation based on species of Cynomys associate. The taxonomic relationship among ferrets and close relatives is described. The black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) is a medium-sized musteline that is listed as ^IS^IT^^ endangered throughout its former range and currently receives full protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 use 1531 et. seq.). Endemic to North Amer- ica, black-footed ferrets formerly occupied an extensive range from the Great Plains of Canada to intermontane regions of the inte- rior Rocky Mountains and southwestern United States. The species is currently known from only one population restricted to an ap- pro.ximately 150 sq km area in northwestern Wyoming (Fig. 1). Decline of the black-footed ferret over the last 50 years is attributed to the often systematic eradication of its principal prey and associate, the prairie dog {Cijnomys spp. ), which is often viewed as an agricultural pest throughout the West. Prairie dogs are semifossorial colonial rodents (Sciuridae) that offer an abundant source of prey and burrows for ferret shelter. Because black-footed ferrets are primarily nocturnal and spend much of their time un- derground, they seldom were observed in the Fig. 1. Historic range of the black-footed ferret (shaded area) compared with the current known range wild by naturalists until recent technologies, (dot). specifically the high-intensity portable spot- light, made observation possible. Few details of the species biology were known until a Dakota, was studied from 1964 to 1974. Prior small population in Mellette County, South to that time information on distribution and '730 Magnolia Street, Denver, Colorado 80220. and Consulting Inc. Box 2705, Jackson, Wyoming ^Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho S3209, and Biota Research , 83001. 11 12 Great Basin Naturalist Memoirs No. 8 specimens of ferrets were collected sporadi- CU— Cornell University Division of Biological Sciences, Ithaca, New York cally by commercial trappers, museum collec- DMNH— Denver Museum of Natural History, Denver, tors, or federal and state rodent and predator Colorado* control agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife FMNH— Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago Service (formerly the Biological Survey [BSC] HM— Hastings Museum, Hastings, Nebraska and Bureau of Sport, Fisheries, and Wildlife ISU — Iowa State University, Ames KSU — Kansas State University, Manhattan [BSFW]). Specimens are therefore few and KUMNH— University of Kansas, Lawrence* scattered among many collections. MCZ— Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard Uni- Records of M. nigripes specimens and sight versity, Cambridge, Massachusetts* reports have been compiled for some states, MDFWP— Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Bozeman* but no comprehensive record of black-footed MHM— Minnilusa Pioneer Historical Museum, Rapid exists ferret distribution based on specimens City, South Dakota other than Hall (1981). Some authors have MSU— Montana State University, Bozeman included measurements from limited sam- NDSHS— North Dakota State Historical Society Mu- seum, Bismarck ples, but no systematic analysis based on a NGFP— Nebraska Game, Fish, and Parks, Lincoln large sample has been made. The present NMC— National Museum of Natural Sciences, Ottawa, study is based on a comprehensive examina- Ontario tion and analysis of black-footed ferret re- NSCM — Northwestern State College, Alva, Oklahoma mains and literature and describes the pale- NYZ—New York Zoological Society, Bronx, New York NZP National Zoological Park, Washington, D.C. obiology, distribution, and skeletal mor- — OSLf —Oklahoma State University, Stillwater phometry of M. nigripes. OU— University of Oklahoma, Norman PAT— Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, Maryland Materials and Methods ROM—Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto SDNHM — San Diego Natural History Museum, San Sixty-eight collections mammal were con- Diego, California tacted and 48 of them reported having M. SNMH— Saskatchewan Museum of Natural History, nigripes in their collections. Of these, eight Regina collections were examined and measured. SYR— State University of New York, Syracuse SZCM — State Zoological Collection, Munich, German Collection data were supplemented by a thor- Federal Republic ough hterature review. Evidence of ferrets UCB— University of California, Berkeley was confirmed either by the presence in mu- UCM— University of Colorado Museum, Boulder* seums of specimens (skins, skeletal material) UMMZ— University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Ann Arbor of M. nigripes or by observations of ferrets in UMMNH—James Ford Bell Museum of Natural His- hand reported in the literature biologists by tory, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis familiar with the species. Some literature re- UND— University of North Dakota, Grand Forks ports, therefore, include live-captured or UNSM— University of Nebraska State Museum, Lincoln University Department of Zool- killed animals that were not collected or pre- USD— of South Dakota, ogy, Vermillion served as museum specimens. Sight reports USNM — United States National Museum, Washington, or secondary sources, however authentic, DC* were not included. UW— University of Wyoming, Laramie. Collections containing black-footed ferrets UWZM — University of Wisconsin Zoological Museum, Madison are listed below. Asterisks denote collections WGF—Wyoming Game and Fish Department, from which specimens were measured. Cheyenne W^ H. Over Museum, University of South Da- AMNH—American Museum of Natural History, New WHO— York* kota, Vermillion YPM — Peabody Museum, Yale University, New Haven, ANSP— Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia Connecticut AUG— Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota ZSP Zoological Society of Philadelphia BMS— Buffalo Museum of Science, Buffalo, New York — BNP— Badlands National Park, Interior, South Dakota BSC— Biological Services Collection, Fort Collins, Colo- Record localities are listed in Table 6 as they rado* appeared on specimen labels or in the litera- CDOW— Colorado Division of Wildlife, Denver ture, with any comments or clarifying notes CMNH— Carnegie Mu.seum of Natural History, Pitts- burg included in the text or remarks. Specimen CSU—Colorado State University, Fort C'ollins label data were organized by collection date 1986 Anderson et al.: Biogeography and Systematics 13 A LM' LM' LC-M2 LM|tr-^LM| WM,tr i,\ WM|tr pt- LM |tr yM Wl3-l3 WC-C Wp4.p4 Wp4-p4 POP POP Fig. 2. Skull and mandible of black-footed ferret (Ad. S , Baca County, Colorado. DMNH 2248) showing measure- ments taken. A, Lateral view of skull. B, Lateral view of mandible. C, Occlusal view of ?*. D, Occlusal view of M'. E, Occlusal view of Mj. F, Dorsal view of skull. G, Ventral view of skull. For symbols see Materials