Paul Marinari, senior curator of animal care sciences at NZCBI, is the studbook keeper for black-footed ferrets.Īt birth, black-footed ferret kits are blind, weigh less than 10 grams and have a thin layer of white fur covering their bodies. ![]() Hickory is one of 18 breeding female black-footed ferrets residing at NZCBI. This matchmaking process helps ensure the genetic diversity of a population in human care. SAFE tracks the lineage of individual animals in a record called a “studbook.” When considering which animals to breed, a studbook keeper examines the individuals’ genetic relatedness to one another, overall health and temperament, among other factors, and makes recommendations accordingly. Hickory and Talo received a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Saving Animals From Extinction (SAFE) program. This is the first litter for Hickory and the third for 2-year-old male Talo, who came to NZCBI from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado. When the kits are about 10 days, animal care staff will perform a neonatal exam and determine their sexes. Starting at four days old, the kits receive regular check-ups to ensure they are developing normally and gaining weight appropriately. ![]() Over the past few days, they have left Hickory to bond with and care for her kits without interference. In addition to her kits, Hickory is fostering a kit from another litter. Animal care staff are closely monitoring the ferrets’ behaviors through the Black-Footed Ferret Cam, a temporary live webcam on the Zoo’s website. ![]() One-year-old female Hickory gave birth to six-surviving kits May 27. Carnivore keepers at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) in Front Royal, Virginia welcomed a litter of endangered black-footed ferrets last week.
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