Links
- Document: Report (pdf)
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) are highly dependent on prairie dogs (Cynomys spp.) as prey, and prairie dog colonies are the only known habitats that sustain black-footed ferret populations. An existing model used extensively for evaluating black-footed ferret reintroduction habitat defined complexes by interconnecting colonies with 7-km line segments. Although the 7-km complex remains a useful construct, we propose additional, smaller-scale evaluations that consider 1.5-km subcomplexes. The original model estimated the carrying capacity of complexes based on energy requirements of ferrets and density estimates of their prairie dog prey. Recent data have supported earlier contentions of intraspecific competition and intrasexual territorial behavior in ferrets. We suggest a revised model that retains the fixed linear relationship of the existing model when prairie dog densities are <18/ha and uses a curvilinear relationship that reflects increasing effects of ferret territoriality when there are 18–42 prairie dogs per hectare. We discuss possible effects of colony size and shape, interacting with territoriality, as justification for the exclusion of territorial influences if a prairie dog colony supports only a single female ferret. We also present data to support continued use of active prairie dog burrow densities as indices suitable for broad-scale estimates of prairie dog density. Calculation of percent of complexes that are occupied by prairie dog colonies was recommended as part of the original habitat evaluation process. That attribute has been largely ignored, resulting in rating anomalies.
| Publication type | Conference Paper |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Conference Paper |
| Title | Evaluating habitat for black-footed ferrets: Revision of an existing model |
| Year Published | 2006 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Reston, VA |
| Contributing office(s) | Fort Collins Science Center |
| Description | 8 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Report |
| Larger Work Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Larger Work Title | Recovery of the black-footed ferret: Progress and continuing challenges- Proceedings of the Symposium on the Status of the Black-footed Ferret and Its Habitat, Fort Collins, Colorado, January 28-29, 2004 (Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5293) |
| First page | 143 |
| Last page | 150 |
| Conference Title | Symposium on the Status of the Black-footed Ferret and Its Habitat |
| Conference Location | Fort Collins, CO |
| Conference Date | January 28-29, 2004 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |