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Native to central North America, the black-footed ferret is roughly the size of a mink and is similar in appearance to the European polecat and the Asian steppe polecat. It is largely nocturnal and solitary, except when breeding or raising litters. Up to 90% of its diet is composed of prairie dogs.

The species declined throughout the 20th century and was declared extinct in 1979, but a residual wild population was discovered in Wyoming in 1981 and it was reintroduced into western US states, Canada, and Mexico from 1991 to 2009.

As of 2011, over 1000 mature, wild-born individuals are in the wild across 18 populations, with self-sustaining populations in South Dakota, Arizona, and Wyoming.

The species was classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List in 2008.