They live in Wyoming and neighboring states, and they are an endangered species. However, despite quite similar appearances, the Black Footed Ferret is very unlikely to be an ancestor of the domestic ferret, since ferrets were first domesticated in Egypt and only brought to North America comparatively recently. Domestic ferrets are generally believed to be descended from the European polecat. If you have never met a ferret before, the easiest way to think of them is somewhere between a kitten and a dog in personality, but smaller and cuter. Ferrets are a lot of fun.
Most ferrets never grow out of their playful stage.
They are smarter than cats and dogs. They are also very inquisitive and remarkably determined, which is part of their charm but also can be a bit of a bother when they repeatedly remove all the books from the bottom 2 shelves of your book cases. They can be trained to use a litter box and to do tricks, and most of them love to go places with you riding on a shoulder or in a bag. They need to be kept in a cage when you are not home - for their protection, however they need several hours a day every day out of their cage playing. Ferrets are wonderful pets but like any pet you should learn about the animal before getting one.