Possible Litter of Seven Wild Black-Footed Ferret Kits

Abstract

Endangered black-footed ferrets (BFFs, Mustela nigripes) specialize on prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) for prey and use prairie dog burrows for shelter. In the wild, female BFFs produce 2–3 kits on average. Litters of 6 have been observed. At the Conata Basin, South Dakota, we observed an adult female BFF, named F05–183, with 7 kits. Data on space use by neighboring female BFFs suggest that F05–183 produced all 7 kits; alternative explanations are discussed. To our knowledge, this is the largest recorded litter count for wild-born BFFs.