black-footed ferret

American  

[blak-foot-id] / ˈblækˌfʊt ɪd /

noun

1. a weasellike polecat, Mustela nigripes, of prairie regions of the U.S., having a yellowish-brown body with the tip of the tail and legs black: an endangered species.

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Etymology

Origin of black-footed ferret

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Example Sentences

Above, a black-footed ferret at an FWS program in Colorado.

From NewsForKids.net • Nov. 13, 2024

For every success story like that of the bald eagle or the black-footed ferret, the Endangered Species Act also has countless failures.

From Salon • Dec. 21, 2023

As a keystone species, prairie dogs provide valuable services to their ecosystems, and they are an important source of food for endangered species, such as the black-footed ferret.

From Slate • May 25, 2022

US biotechnology company Revive and Restore recently produced a clone using skin cells from an endangered black-footed ferret that had been dead for decades.

From BBC • May 19, 2022

Presentations were given on the Mexican wolf, the black rhino, the red wolf, the black-footed ferret, the snub-nosed monkey, and others.

From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh