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What Do Ferrets Eat in the Wild?

Contrary to some people's assumption, ferrets are not rodents, but a member of the Mustelidae family of mammals. Other notable members of this animal family include otters, skunks, badgers, polecats, mink and weasels. Some ferrets still live in the wild, while in Europe others have been domesticated for many centuries. A pet ferret is most likely to come from the domesticated stock. Ferrets have a peculiar habit of wanting to eat anything they see.

Classification
- By far the largest generic category in the Mustelidae family is the genus Mustela. This is a large grouping that includes weasels, the ermine, the European mink, polecats and two species of ferrets, one domesticated and one wild. The wild North American ferret is known as the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), while the tame version is simply called the domesticated ferret (Mustela putorius furo). The European polecat is the same species as the domesticated ferret, but without the subspecific designation "furo."
Endangered Species
- Without the intervention of wildlife enthusiasts and government agencies, the black-footed ferret of America would have gone extinct in the 1980s, when their wild population dropped to an unbelievably low count of 18 individuals. Since that time the black-footed ferret population has grown substantially. According to a 2011 report put out by the Defenders of Wildlife, there are 750 ferrets living in the wild and another 250 in captive breeding programs.
Prairie Dogs
- In the wild, the black-footed ferret is dependent on prairie dogs and can be found anywhere across the Great Plains and western states wherever a prairie dog town exists. In fact, ferrets choose to live in prairie dog burrows, for the prairie dog makes up 90 percent of the black-footed ferret's diet. A ferret in the wild will sleep during the day and hunt prairie dogs by night. Unfortunately, a severe decline in the natural prairie dog population has brought this interesting predator close to the brink of extinction.
Other Foods
- The rest of the black-footed ferret's diet is also meat and may include ground squirrels, small rodents, rabbits and birds. In Europe and eastern Russia there are several species of wild polecats, which are genetically very similar to the North American wild ferret. These animals live in outdoor habitats, but are not so dependent on one source of food. The polecat diet includes rabbits, small rodents, birds, eggs, amphibians and even carrion. Like the black-footed ferrets, they like to hunt at night and are adept at stalking their prey in underground tunnels.

Animals & Science