Black-Footed Ferret

Robert Sandle

Description and Ecology of Black-Footed Ferret

The black-footed ferret, 18 to 24 inches length, five to six inches tall and weighs only one-and-a-half to two-and-a-half pounds; with males slightly larger than females. The black-footed ferret is well adapted to its prairie environment. Prairies are ecosystems that are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type. Its color and varying markings blend so well with grassland soils and plants, which it is hard to detect until it moves. It has a slender body form, wiry animal with a black facemask, black feet, and a black-tipped tail. The rest of its sleek fur has a yellow tone, lighter on the belly and nearly white on the forehead, muzzle, and throat. It has short legs with large front paws and claws developed for digging. The ferret's large ears and eyes are an indicator of acute hearing and sight, but smell is probably its most important sense for hunting prey underground in the dark.

Geographic and Population Changes

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is currently taking an active study and monitoring of the black-footed ferret. The population is documented as found everywhere, expect where the experimental population zone lies, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming. The population can also be found in the UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge. As for other countries, Mexico is the only know home to the black-footed ferret.

Date and Type of Listing

The black footed-ferret is listed as endangered and first listed on 03/11/1967. The lead region is the Mountain-Prairie Region (region 6). In 08/21/1991 the Experimental Population, Non-Essential started in the same area and stands for all of U.S.A.

Cause of listing and Main Threats 

Black-footed ferret populations declined for three principal reasons. First, In the late 1800s, there was a huge conversion of native range to cropland, particularly in the eastern portion of the species’ range. Second, because of competition with domestic livestock for foliage, poisoning of prairie dogs was the plan for reduction in the early 1900s.. Third, the exotic disease sylvatic plague first impacted prairie dogs and ferrets in the 1930s (Eskey and Hass 1940). Each of these resulted in a substantial loss of prairie dogs, which in turn led to an even greater decline in ferret populations due to the species’ dependency on large expanses of habitat occupied by prairie dogs (Lockhart et al. 2006).

Recovery Plan

The Fish and Wildlife Service established the BFFRIT, Black-footed ferret recovery Implementation Team, in 1996. One of its guiding principles is to involve many partners across the known historical range, including Tribes, State and local governments, Federal land management agencies, non-governmental organizations, Canada, and Mexico. Recovery will be achieved by establishing a number of ferret populations where appropriate habitat and diminished threats exist to allow for the ferret. Throughout historical times, he ferret’s habitat has slowly diminished; however, a sufficient amount remains if its quality and configuration are appropriately managed. Such management is likely to be conducted by traditional State, Tribal, and Federal fish and wildlife and land management agencies. Additionally, private parties, including landowners and conservation organizations, must continue to support ferret recovery in many places to minimize the risk of loss of wild populations.

Personal Action

Simple enough, the most logical action that would benefit black-footed ferret recovery is to improve prairie dog conservation. If efforts were executed to more proactively management for ferret recovery, especially actively treating colonies for plague, any other threats to the species would be less difficult to address. However, despite being endangered, several states within the historical range of the species do not manage prairie dogs in a manner that supports ferret recovery. Some of these States bearing disease-free areas that would be especially valuable to ferret recovery.. Conserving and managing a captive ferret population of adequate size and structure to support genetic management and reintroduction efforts. 


•       Identify prairie dog habitats with the highest biological potential for supporting future populations of ferrets. 


•       Establish free-ranging ferrets to meet down listing and delisting goals. 


•       Ensure sufficient prairie dog habitat to support a wide distribution of ferret population’s 
over long term

•       Reduce disease-related threats in wild populations of ferrets and associated species. 


•       Support partner involvement and conduct management through cooperative 
interchange. 


Donate to:

WWF (world wildlife)

PWR (Prairie Wildlife Research)

      AFA (The American Ferret Association)

Links to other websites, materials, etc.

•       http://www.defenders.org/black-footed-ferret/basic-facts

•       http://www.defenders.org/prairie-dog/basic-facts

•       http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=A004

List of Resources

Lockhart, J.M. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2007 draft. Email of preliminary allocation of        ferrets for 2006. Personal communication with BFFRIT

Eskey, C. and V. Haas. 1940. Plague in the western part of the United States. United States Public Health Bulletin 254:1–83.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, ECOS, Black-Footed Ferret. Web, 28 Nov. 2015

Who Are These Cranes And Why Do We Have to Crane Our Necks to See Them?

-By Evan Ricaurte

 

Mississippi Sandhill Crane

Grus canadensis pulla

Already naturally secluded to a small area of Mississippi, this beautiful bird subspecies has been struggling to survive for as long as record exists of them thanks to human disturbance.

The Cranes

This subspecies of non-migratory Sandhill Cranes was first observed by Aldo Leopold in 1929 during a game survey of Jackson County, Mississippi. Standing about 4 feet tall, these birds have long necks and a grayish brown feather color topped with their most notable feature, a bright red crown on their heads. Due to their small population, much other information on them is actually recorded from the Florida or Alabama Sandhill Cranes and assumed to be similar enough to be used as an approximation for these as well. Their small population in this particular area comprises of a 1:1 sex ratio of birds whom can potentially reach the age of 20 years old under prime circumstances. Raising on average one offspring per year, a near 60% of hatchlings will survive. They reach independence 290 days after being born, but will not mate until two to three or even six years of age; at which point they will be able to be a part of the small population their current home can support.

The cranes have a very large diet of numerous types of insects, worms, fish; even birds and small mammals, all found throughout their habitat in Jackson County. In the winter they feed further away from their nesting habitats in nearby fields on crops which last through the seasons such as corn.  

Their Home

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Recovery Plan

While of the six subspecies of the Sandhill Crane that exist, some such as the Louisiana cranes have even been known to be so populous in the past that they were considered a pest; none are so isolated and small in number as the Mississippi cranes. Residing in what is now the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, these cranes have always been living under very strained circumstances. This is largely in part due to the fact that nesting pairs each claim a large are of open savanna to raise their offspring. Of the 19,000 acres on the refuge for use of these cranes, only about 15,000 of that is able to be used for nesting, allowing for a mere 30 to 34 pairs of nesting cranes at any one time. This has resulted in population numbers that have never exceeded a few cranes over 100 since record has existed of the Mississippi subspecies. This ideal habitat for these birds is primarily wet pine savanna (grassland). These savannas combined with pine plantations and swamps which are also located on the small reserve where these birds reside provide a fully used, year-round habitat that these birds use.  

Effects on Their Lives

When the Mississippi Sandhill Cranes were first recorded in 1929 it was largely suspected that they had already been impacted by human hunting and logging activities which cut their habitat and numbers down to around those they are at now. Other man-made disturbances such as herbicide use and the construction of Interstate Highway 10 in the 1970’s lead to habitat disturbances despite backlash from the National Wildlife Federation. This event in particular though, did lead to a purchase of nearly 2,000 acres of land to be protected from further commercial development.

The largest strain on these cranes though, is simply lack of habitat. It is calculated that a population of nearly 200 cranes with at least 60 nesting pairs would be needed for a self-sustaining population; nearly double what exists today. For these reasons captive breeding and other recovery actions are in place to bring these cranes out of their threatened position.

Recovery

Listed as rare in 1968, and officially endangered in 1973, two recovery plan revisions for the Mississippi Sandhill cranes have been approved since the original in 1976. With the mission to create “a genetically viable, stable, self-sustaining, free-living Mississippi sandhill crane population” (Recovery Plan Third Revision). For recovery to be considered a success and meeting these criteria, the presence of the above mentioned 60 nesting pairs must be able to survive without a captive breeding program and other human intervention for 10 years, and then long term survival further after that. This is hoped to be achieved through increasing nesting habitat size and quality, and limiting human disturbances both direct and indirect (ex: pollution).

Multiple land purchases and designations have been made to bring the cranes’ land refuge to the size that it is now (19,273 acres), along with a captive breeding program based in Maryland that seems to have helped the crane population increase to the current maximum capacity for their current habitat area after a population drop in the 1960s and 70s.

In total, over 100 captive cranes have been released into the local Mississippi population over the length of the program, with survival rates of these birds on average being above 50%.

Population trend graph using data from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Recovery Plan

These actions along with others such as filling (man-made) ditches and road drains and maintain/creating natural barriers to separate the cranes from human activity have been successful so far in the implementation of this recovery plan.

Although these have been successful, the cranes are still simply holding onto an unstable population at the moment, with the biggest factor being space that is needed to create a natural and self-sustaining population in the long run. For this reason it is important that everyone who agrees that these unique and beautiful birds deserve to live despite human caused damages to their home and population speaks out. The cranes need more space to live and breed if they are ever to accomplish this, and while it will take effort and possible less than ideal actions such as redirecting highways or reorganizing privately owned land that can be used by the cranes. That being said, there is nothing that has stopped human motivation to make a change for the better before, so now everyone who can must help to be a part of this change, for the sake of the Mississippi Sandhill Cranes.

Information gathered from the Recovery Plan of the Mississippi Sandhill Crane as publicly available through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Images gathered via Google Image search of “Mississippi Sandhill Crane”

Southern Resident Killer Whales

By: Madison Ross

All About The Southern Resident Killer Whales

Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) are a small population of resident killer whales composed of three pods; J, K, and L. These three pods are actually a large extended family, or clan, and together, called a super pod, make up the southern resident whale population. There are three types of killer whales, resident, transient, and offshore. Off the resident orcas, there are three populations found between the state of Washington and Alaska, one of these populations being the southern resident killer whales. The SRKW diet, range, social behavior, kinship and linguistics are distinct from other killer whale populations in the Pacific Northwest. They’re called resident killer whales because for half of the year they spend time foraging in inland waters and mostly eat only salmon for prey, as opposed to other types of orcas who will prey on marine mammals, such as seals. The SRKW is the only population found in the United States. They spend most of their time (from spring to fall) in the inshore waters of the Salish Sea. In the winter they are seen along the Pacific Coast of the U.S., mainly because this is where they find their main food source, salmon. In years past they have been seen as far south as Monterey, California and as far north as Southeast Alaska.

Watch this video on the L-pod!!!!

What’s Changed?

Annual updates on SRKW population occurs on July 1. As of July 1, 2015 the SRKW population totaled 81. The L pod has 35 individuals, the J pod 27, and the K pod 19. The SRKW population was significantly decreased from 1965-1975 as killer whales were being captured for marine parks. At least 13 of the SRKW were killed and about 45 were captured and sold to marine parks around the world. Today of these captured whales, only one remains alive at the Miami Seaquarium. From 1996- 2001 the population experienced a 20% decrease, an alarming rate for an already small population.

Southern Resident Orca Community Demographics, Composition of Pods, Births and Deaths since 1998 Updated October 25, 2015 (provided by orcanetwork.org J pod ID M/F DOB J2 F 1911 J14 F 1974 J16 F 1972* J17 F 1977 J19 F 1979 J22 F 1985 J26 M 1991 J27 M 1991 J28 F 1993 J31 F 1995 J34 M 1998 J35 F 1998 J36 F 1999 J37 F 2001 J38 M 2003 J39 M 2003 J40 F 2004 J41 F 2005 J42 F 2007 J44 M 2009 J45 M 2009 J46 F 2009 J47 M 2010 J49 M 2012 J50 F 2014 J51 M 2015 J52 M 2015 J53 U 2015 K pod ID M/F DOB K12 F 1972 K13 F 1972 K14 F 1977 K16 F 1985 K20 F 1986 K21 M 1986 K22 F 1987 K25 M 1991 K26 M 1993 K27 F 1994 K33 M 2001 K34 M 2001 K35 M 2002 K36 F 2003 K37 M 2004 K38 M 2004 K42 M 2008 K43 F 2010 K44 M 2011 L pod (1) ID M/F DOB L22 F 1971 L25 F 1928 L27 F 1965 L41 M 1977 L47 F 1974 L54 F 1977 L55 F 1977 L72 F 1986 L77 F 1987 L82 F 1990 L83 F 1990 L84 M 1990 L85 M 1991 L86 F 1991 L87 M 1992 L88 M 1993 L89 M 1993 L90 F 1993 L pod (2) ID M/F DOB L91 F 1995 L92 M 1995 L94 F 1995 L95 M 1996 L103 F 2003 L105 M 2004 L106 M 2005 L108 M 2006 L109 M 2007 L110 M 2007 L113 F 2009 L115 M 2010 L116 M 2010 L117 M 2010 L118 F 2011 L119 F 2012 L121 M 2015 L122 U 2015

On January 24, 2008, the SRKW were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

After the 20% decrease of their population from 1965 to 1975, their numbers continued to decline, reaching astonishingly low numbers. The main causes are thought to be a decline in their prey of salmon, particularly Chinook. There have also been an increased disturbance due to private and commercial whale watching ships. And finally, they have continually been exposed to high levels of toxins, including PCB, PBDE, and DDT, which are stored in their fat.  

The Plan

Due to the uncertainty surrounding the exact cause of the SRKW decline the recovery plan outlines an adaptive management approach with a recovery strategy to address each suspected threat. The plan seeks to address the following problems:

• Prey Availability
• Pollution/Contamination
• Vessel Effects
• Oil Spills
• Acoustic Effects
• Education and Outreach
• Response to Sick, Stranded, Injured Killer Whales
• Transboundary and Interagency Coordination
• Research and Monitoring

The goal of the plan is to increase the SRKW population to where they no longer require protection under the ESA.

-If the population grows by 2.3% in the next 28 years or they are no longer in danger of extinction, they will be delisted from the ESA.

-If the population grows by 2.3% in the next 14 years and show sustained growth they will be downlisted to threatened (likely to become endangered).

-Assuming it takes 28 years for recovery, the estimated cost of recovery would be about $49,540,000.

-To view the entire recovery plan click here.

What Can You Do?

If you want to get involved to restore the population of the SRKW, there are many ways you can help!

1. If you want to view killer whales in their natural habitat, do so through a reputable whale watching company, rather than from a private boat. Killer whales are very sensitive to noise and disturbance from boats and whale watching can disrupt their habits. Better yet, watch the whales from land using thewhaletrail.org, a website that tells you the best locations to watch whales from shore.
2. Alert researchers when you spot killer whales. You can contact them through the website orcanetwork.org or the Salish Sea Hydrophone Network.
3. Look for opportunities to get involved/alert people of the declining salmon population, esp. Chinook salmon.
4. Choose to eat sustainably harvested salmon or other seafood. Check out the app Seafood Watch!
5. Dispose of chemicals and toxins properly. Never dump them down the toilet or sink, etc.

References:

http://www.orcanetwork.org

http://conservationbiology.uw.edu/research-programs/killer-whales/

http://www.epa.gov/salish-sea/southern-resident-killer-whales

http://www.whaleresearch.com