Two more endangered ferrets cloned from critter frozen in 1980s
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Two more black-footed ferrets have been cloned from the genes used for the first clone of an endangered species in the U.S., bringing to three the number of slinky predators genetically identical to one of the last such animals found in the wild, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday.
Efforts to breed the first clone, a female named Elizabeth Ann born in 2021, have failed, but the recent births of two more cloned females, named Noreen and Antonia, in combination with a captive breeding program launched in the 1980s, is boosting hopes of diversifying the endangered species. Genetic diversity can improve a species’ ability to adapt and survive despite disease outbreaks and changing environmental conditions.
Energetic and curious, black-footed ferrets are a nocturnal type of weasel with dark eye markings resembling a robber’s mask. Their prey is prairie dogs, and the ferrets hunt the rodents in often vast burrow colonies on the plains.
Related articles
Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 26
Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 26-June 1:May 26: Sportscaster Brent Musburger is 85. Drumme2024-05-21City set to enjoy a bonanza of tourist attractions
Yuyuan Garden will present a variety of activities and invite visitors to release lotus lanterns and2024-05-21Camping becomes burgeoning trend in China
Tourists go camping in Nanchuan District of southwest China's Chongqing, Oct. 2, 2022. (Photo by Qu2024-05-21Xi Stresses Unique Role of Auditing in Party's Self
Contact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom2024-05-21Iran helicopter crash that killed President Raisi could reverberate across the Middle East
JERUSALEM (AP) — The helicopter crash in which Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s foreig2024-05-21Peng Liyuan, African First Ladies Launch Health Campaign for Orphans in Africa
Contact Us HomeNewsHighlightACWF NewsSocietyWom2024-05-21
atest comment