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Prairie Dog Pals

Dedicated to the Preservation of Prairie Dogs and their Habitat

Site Preparation

September 10, 2010 by PDP


Site preparation covers all aspects of creating an artificial environment for the prairie dogs once they have been released to their new home in the wild.

Besides our volunteers, the most precious commodity in the relocation process is relocation habitat.  Very few people or groups are willing to provide land for the reintroduction of prairie dogs.  Additionally the site must meet rigorous criteria to ensure that it is suitable for the introduction of prairie dogs.  The site is evaluated based on vegetation, soil type, terrain, and biological appropriateness in terms of existing species and the whether or not it is traditional habitat for the prairie dogs being relocated.

Very few sites are ideal.  We have had some success with the city of Albuquerque open space, tribal land, and private landowners.  We are partnering with educational institutes and wildlife refuges for future relocations.  Our vision is to secure sufficient habitat to accommodate all prairie dogs threatened with habitat loss, state wide.

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Here is a picture of our relocation habitat on the west mesa in Albuquerque. Once the site has been selected, site preparation begins.

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Cage caps are used to contain the prairie dogs during the relocation process. The cage caps are placed over the ends of the tubes leading to the artificial burrows. They allow the prairie dogs to become acclimated to their new environment without the threat of predation. In the picture above a volunteer is constructing a cage cap. The caps are made of 1/2” square hardware cloth.

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The nesting boxes are made out of donated 15-25 gallon nursery pots. In the picture above the holes to accommodate the tubes are being cut into the pots.

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The holes are slotted to accommodate the corrugated tubing.

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The nesting box is filled with hay and capped with hardware cloth. The hardware cloth will allow waste to filter to the ground under the nesting box.

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The nesting box is inverted and the tubing attached.

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Holes to accommodate the nesting boxes can be machine excavated using an auger or backhoe. The picture above shows an augured hole.

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The augured hole has a 45-degree “ramp” to the surface to accommodate the tube coming out of the side of the nesting box.

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The nesting box in place.

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Finished product. The ends of the tubes are capped to prevent occupation by other animals.

Notes:  With the city we use a bobcat with the following attachments: 24” auger, a 12” backhoe/bucket and a blade.  The holes get augured first, then the “ramps” are cut, then the nesting box is set, and then the hole is backfilled using the blade.  Shovel work is required to dress up the area.  Alternatively you can use a backhoe for the whole operation.  We try to minimize the damage to the grass by minimizing passes and traffic.

 

PDP Operations Tagged: artificial burrows, cage caps, habit, nesting box, release, relocation, site preparation

Artificial Burrow

September 10, 2010 by PDP

nest1 (800x600)

The nesting box has been prepared, the holes are cut in the bottom and side, it has been filled with hay and the bottom, hardware cloth has been attached. To the left is the corrugated tubing.

Artificial burrows provide a temporary home for the prairie dogs during the relocation process.

The nesting boxes, or artificial burrows,  are constructed of 15-25 gallon nursery pots.  The bigger the pot, the more prairie dogs it will accommodate (keeping family groups in mind). You can usually get these donated.  However,  you want the rigid ones that are injection molded, and not the flimsy ones that are blow molded.  The flimsy ones can crush during the back filling.  To find out how to make one, click here.

The nesting boxes must have 2, 4” holes drilled into them with the hole cutter,  one in the middle of the bottom, and 1 on the side, about 2” down from the top.  The holes must be slotted (8 slots about 1” deep) using the mini grinder and cutting wheel.  The slots allow the tube to be forced into the pot and held securely.

nest2 (800x600)

The nesting box, with the tubing attached has been placed into the augured hole and is ready to be back filled.

A piece of 1/2”x1/2”  hardware cloth needs to be cut to fit over the open end of the nesting box.  The rim of the pot is either drilled with  a number of holes so that the cloth can be sewn to the pot using wire or the cloth can be stapled to the pot.  If it is stapled to the pot, care must be taken when handling and setting the pot so that the hardware cloth is not pulled away from the pot.

PDP Operations Tagged: artificial burrows, nesting box

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