Mustelidae is the largest family within Carnivora and is comprised of 56 species in 22 genera. Black-footed ferrets ( Mustela nigripes) are considered extinct in the wild, although several re-introduction programs are underway. Generally, "soft" re-introductions, those that allow the animals to acclimate to their new surroundings while in a temporary enclosure, are more successful than "hard" re-introductions, in which captive-bred animals are released directly into the wild. Numerous re-introduction programs for various mustelid species have met with mixed success. Sea mink ( Neovison macrodon) became extinct in recent times. Endangered mustelids include: Colombian weasels ( Mustela felipei), European mink ( Mustela lutreola), Indonesian mountain weasels ( Mustela lutreolina), marine otters ( Lontra felina), southern river otters ( Lontra provocax), sea otters ( Enhydra lutris), and giant Brazilian otters ( Pteronura brasiliensis). Hunting has been a problem for some species, while others, particularly tropical mustelids, do not seem to be declining as a result. Smaller carnivores that are restricted to small habitat fragments may also be at risk to predation by larger carnivores that can more easily move among fragments. Habitat destruction is a serious risk to species with restricted habitat requirements such as otters and martens. Approximately 38% of all species of Mustelidae are considered threatened,which is a much higher proportion than mammals in general (15%).
Some mustelid species are considered highly threatened by the IUCN, while other species are so abundant that they are considered pests.
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