Black-footed Ferret Skull Replica
$61.00
Black-footed ferret skull replica is 2.7 x 1.75 x 1.5 in. The Mustela nigripes skull is a museum-quality polyurethane resin cast of CAS specimen.
- Description
- Additional information
Description
Black-footed ferret skull replica measures 2.7 x 1.75 x 1.5 inches. The Mustela nigripes skull is a museum-quality polyurethane resin cast from California Academy of Sciences specimen. 2-part skull (separate cranium and mandible). 1:1 scale. Made in USA.
The black-footed ferret lives in temperate grasslands and semi-arid prairies. They spend most of their time safely underground. They make their homes inside tunnels dug by prairie dogs. These burrows provide a safe shelter from harsh weather and predators. Wild populations inhabit parts of the Great plains across North America. Reintroduction programs placed them in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Black-footed ferrets have long, slender bodies with long necks and short, stout legs. Sharp, slightly curved claws arm each toe. Thick fur covers the feet and completely hides these claws. This mammal has a broad, arched forehead, a short muzzle, and a few facial whiskers. Short, soft, triangular ears stand erect. Males reach about 21 inches in length.
Their skull closely resembles a polecat’s skull that has extreme narrowing behind the eyes, heavy ridges and deep depressions. The cranium width measures much less than the muzzle.
Prairie dogs make up to 90 percent of the ferret’s diet. A single ferret eats over 100 prairie dogs every year. They occasionally hunt small rodents, ground squirrels, and rabbits. These nocturnal hunters catch most of their prey while it sleeps inside its burrow.
Golden eagles, owls and hawks attack them from the air. Coyotes, badgers, foxes and bobcats hunt them on the ground.
On average, black-footed ferrets produce an average litter size of three to four kits. The helpless, blind kits are born underground during May and June. Females take care of all the parental duties. The young remain inside the burrows for about two months before emerging.
Scientific Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Carnivora
- Family: Mustelidae
- Genus: Mustela
- Species: M. nigripes
- Binomial name: Mustela nigripes
- Conservation status: Endangered
Complete your rodent display with the black-footed ferret skull along with the snowshoe rabbit skull replica, the white-tailed prairie dog skull replica and the black-tailed prairie dog skull replica.
Additional information
| Weight | 3.0 lbs |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 2.7 × 1.75 × 1.5 in |
| National Black Footed Ferret Day - September 26th | Black-footed Ferret Day is celebrated on September 26th each year to commemorate the day in 1981 when a rancher's dog named Shep rediscovered a small population of black-footed ferrets in Meeteetse, Wyoming. The discovery gave the species, which was once widespread across the western plains of the U.S. and Canada, a second chance at survival. |
