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Prairie Dog Pals

Dedicated to the Preservation of Prairie Dogs and their Habitat

Duggan: Prairie dogs score a victory in Fort Collins

February 10, 2017 by PDP

Prairie dogs have scored a victory in Fort Collins, or at least their advocates have.

The City Council on Tuesday gave initial approval to a set of changes to the city’s Land Use Code aimed at giving prairie dogs more protection from development than they have enjoyed during the last 20 years.

Read More:  Fort Collins

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

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Larimer County works with advocates on possible prairie dog relocation

January 22, 2017 by PDP

As Larimer County officials work to start construction on the new county building at First Street and Denver Avenue in Loveland, some residents are advocating that the prairie dogs on site be relocated first.

For months, the Larimer County commissioners and the Loveland City Council members have been receiving emails from prairie dog advocates asking that the animals on site be located to another area, rather than poisoned and killed.

While prairie dogs are not considered a protected species, advocates argued that relocation provides many benefits.

Read More: Relocation

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Dr. Seuss had it correct…

January 15, 2017 by PDP

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Do prairie dogs benefit cattle grazing?

January 4, 2017 by PDP

Ranchers have known prairie dogs can reduce rangeland forage by as much as half, but prairie dogs may significantly increase the quality of forage that regrows, according to research by a University of Wyoming master’s degree student.

Read More at:  Forage

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A National Park for the Father of Parks

December 30, 2016 by PDP

The U.S. National Park Service has been celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2016.

Woodrow Wilson, America’s 28th president, established the National Park Service in 1916 to “protect the wild and wonderful landscapes” in the United States.

But it is an earlier leader who is considered the father of the America’s national parks. In 1906, Theodore Roosevelt, America’s 26th president, signed the American Antiquities Act. The law permitted him – and future presidents – to take immediate action to protect important cultural or natural resources.

This is an extremely timely article as B. Obama just designated two areas in Utah as parks and there are those in the government that would seek to reverse this decision.  In fact some would like to PRIVATIZE our public lands!  In the words of Mark Twain: Buy land, they’re not making it anymore.  And perhaps he wouldn’t mind if I changed that to PROTECT our lands, they’re not making anymore.

Anyway it is a very nice article with great pictures including, of course, prairie dogs.  So check out the article at:  PARKS

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Prairie Dog Prayer

December 30, 2016 by PDP

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Prairie dogs are a nuisance for most farmers and ranchers

December 29, 2016 by PDP

This article is obviously biased against prairie dogs, but does provide an insight into the mindset of farmers and ranchers.  There are numerous studies documenting that prairie dogs do not compete with cattle for forage as there are numerous studies documenting the opposite.  It is just a matter of who performed the study.  I think the answer to this is that prairie dogs become an issue for farmers and ranchers AFTER farmers and ranchers have turned PRAIRIE into farms and ranches.  Read the article at:Farms and Ranches

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Prairie Dog Coalition saves more than 1,500 prairie dogs this year from being buried alive

December 29, 2016 by PDP

Read more at:  HSUS

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Prairie dogs state their case

June 1, 2014 by PDP

No matter where you look on the grounds of the Plains Conservation Center, a black-tailed prairie dog will probably be looking back at you.dt.common.streams.StreamServer

 

Read more:  Pueblo Chieftain

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No freedom to ruin public lands

May 6, 2014 by Ed Urbanski

Wild mustangs are an invasive species in the American West. But, then, so are all the humans living here who are not of American Indian descent.

The wild lands in Utah and other Western states where wild horses now roam are fragile and arid — places easily endangered by encroaching, rapidly multiplying horses numbering in the thousands and tens of millions of people who are multiplying even faster and doing more to threaten the land.

Humans have all but obliterated many of the native plant and animal species, including wolves, buffalo, beaver, otters, sage grouse, tortoises, prairie dogs and myriad varieties of plants and even fish.

Running cattle on fragile public land causes more harm than wild horses do, but the humans who have taken over this part of the globe do not want to share scarce feed with animals they cannot work, sell or butcher.

Read More:  Public Land

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Wildlife major helps with research on endangered prairie dogs

May 6, 2014 by Ed Urbanski

Getting up before dawn never appealed to Penn State Elyse McMahon headersenior Elyse McMahon, but last summer it was exactly what she wanted to be doing. From June to August, her days began early with trapping and handling endangered Utah prairie dogs for data collection.

The wildlife and fisheries science major headed west to be part of a study to determine if a new type of bait containing a trial vaccine could help eliminate the sylvatic plague in prairie dogs. Students collected data that U.S. Geological Survey employees analyzed.

Read More:  Student

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Meet the Prairie Dog And its friend, the burrowing owl, By Richard “Bugman” Fagerlund

February 13, 2014 by PDP

Meet the prairie dog. These beautiful animals are true angels of God. They live in little villages and mind their imageown business. They do not destroy any crops and do not carry any diseases even though they are constantly blamed for spreading the plague. In reality, plague fleas (genus Oropsylla) can live on other animals such as squirrels, pack rats and other rodents and even breed in their burrows. When plague fleas get into prairie dog villages, they kill the prairie dogs. If you have a colony of prairie dogs near your home, they are healthy and do not have plague fleas. That is a myth perpetuated by people who do not know any better or who just want to kill them. They do not cripple horses and cattle as some other people claim. Most horses and cattle watch where they are walking and can easily go around a very visible prairie dog village. If a horse is ridden fast through an unknown area, an accident could happen. It is the responsibility of the horse owner to know where they are going on the horse. It isn’t the prairie dogs’ fault.

Read more:  Bugman

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Chambers seeks to repeal Nebraska prairie dog law

February 5, 2014 by PDP

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A law that gives Nebraska counties the power to manage black-tailed prairie dog populations was targeted for repeal Tuesday by the state’s longest-serving senator, a staunch animal rights activist.

State Sen. Ernie Chambers presented a repeal measure to a legislative committee, saying he would have fought to block the law had he been in the Legislature when it passed in 2012. Chambers was forced out of the Legislature due to term limits but returned to office last year.

Read more:  Nebraska

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Groundhog Day? Group says prairie dogs the better rodent choice for western states

February 1, 2014 by PDP

CARLSBAD — Punxsutawney Phil has become an icon in the eastern half of the United States and has brought 20140131__CCA-L-PrairieDog-0201~p1_200fame to the groundhog species with his annual shadow presentation. Traditionally, if the groundhog sees his shadow on Feb. 2, it means six more weeks of winter weather.

In the west, an organization has attempted to do the same for the prairie dogs but the animal has not been able to gain the same affection in New Mexico.

read more:  Prairie Dog Day

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Prairie dogs settling in at Carlsbad zoo after migrating from Lubbock

January 28, 2014 by PDP

CARLSBAD — With their little colony dwindling away — there were just three of the original residents left — the Prairie Dog Village at Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park was ready to receive the immigrants.20140110__CCA-l-PrairieDogs-0110~p1_200

There are 24 of the new rodents, and they arrived here in October, said Holly Payne, head curator at the Living Desert.

Read More:  Living Desert

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UTC Students Help Renovate Prairie Dog Exhibit At Zoo

January 23, 2014 by PDP

The Chattanooga Zoo partnered with students and faculty in the UTC Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and College of Engineering to renovate the Zoo’s existing prairie dog exhibit.

The original prairie dog exhibit, home to five prairie dogs, was built in 1998.  This exhibit is approximately 400 square feet in size and contains two chest-high observation windows.  UTC Engineering students have redesigned the exhibit to incorporate a children’s viewing tunnel which will allows children to get eye level with their prairie dog counterparts through the creation of a viewing space within the actual exhibit.

Read More: Chattanooga

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Ken-Caryl looks at prairie dog issue

January 15, 2014 by PDP

JEFFERSON COUNTY —The Ken-Caryl Ranch Master Association is exploring options for dealing with the prairie dog population near the community’s Manor House property.Prairie Dogs

The more than 40-acre space near the Manor House, 1 Manor House Road, has seen an increase in the prairie dog population and some residents are glad the master association is beginning to take action.

“The whole purpose of open space is to protect it. When prairie dogs take over and destroy it, it has the opposite effect,” resident Marian Miaskiewicz said. Miaskiewicz’s property backs up to the Manor House open space and she said that there are several prairie dog holes in her backyard. She also said that they attract other animals such as snakes.

Read More at: Ken-Caryl

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Slaughter of the Innocents: Yes, Uncle Sam Is Really Planning to Kill 16,000 Prairie Dogs

January 12, 2014 by PDP

Sometimes just trying to get along with a difficult neighbor can make us prisoners in our own homes. It can lead us blacktailed11014to do things that go against our  stated intentions and interests. That seems to be the situation right now for the Thunder Basin National Grassland, a 547,000-acre protected area in northeastern Wyoming.

The U.S. Forest Service, which manages the Grassland, has announced a plan to poison an estimated 16,000 prairie dogs and dramatically shrink the already limited area in which prairie dogs are tolerated. Thunder Basin officials intend to do it despite their declared plans to improve prairie dog habitat. Their method, moreover, is likely to kill a lot of other wildlife in the affected area and, incidentally, squander taxpayer dollars for nothing.

Read more at:  Slaughter

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Government’s War on Wildlife Called Out by Two Congressmen

January 11, 2014 by PDP

The hot seat just got hotter for the rogue agency that’s responsible for the cruel and indiscriminate killing of millions of animals every year in the U.S., following a request for an investigation and congressional review made by two senators.3067147.large

Wildlife Services (WS) began as Animal Damage Control, which started out killing pests and added predators to its list of targets in 1914. The agency has since expanded its services and has continued killing hundreds of thousands of native animals every year under the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Read more: Wildlife “DIS” Services

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Lubbock prairie dogs relocated to Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park in New Mexico

January 11, 2014 by PDP

Two-dozen Lubbock prairie dogs are now living in the Land of Enchantment.12984971

The small ground-dwelling mammals have been relocated to Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park in Carlsbad, N.M.

Read more:  Lubbock

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Prairie Dogs Do the Wave

January 8, 2014 by PDP

Prairie dogs have their own version of a stadium wave, known as the “jump-yip,” which helps them connect with dnews-files-2014-01-prairie-dog-initiates-stadium-wave-660x440-jpgothers and assess their alertness, new research finds.

Enjoy the video:  Jump Yip

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Congressmen question costs, mission of Wildlife Services agency

January 8, 2014 by PDP

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s inspector general will investigate a federal agency whose mission is to exterminate birds, coyotes, mountain lions and other animals that threaten the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers.

The investigation of U.S. Wildlife Services is to determine, among other things, “whether wildlife damage management activities were justified and effective.” Biologists have questioned the agency’s effectiveness, arguing that indiscriminately killing more than 3 million birds and other wild animals every year is often counterproductive.

Read more:  Wildlife

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Conservationists say prairie dog proposal could hamper endangered species reintroduction

January 3, 2014 by PDP

Conservation groups are criticizing a proposal to reduce the amount of land protected for prairie dogs in the Thunder Basin National Grassland.prairie_dog

The U.S. Forest Service is considering shrinking the acreage of protected land, largely because ranchers have concerns about livestock being injured in prairie dog holes and acquiring diseases.

But Steve Forrest with Defenders of Wildlife says reducing the prairie dog population could create problems for other wildlife. For example, he says it would hamper efforts to re-introduce endangered species like black-footed ferrets, because the ferrets almost exclusively eat prairie dogs.

Read More:  WPM

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Prairie dogs critical for ferret recovery, officials say

January 3, 2014 by PDP

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is announcing the availability of the black-footed ferret Revised Recovery Plan. The black-footed ferret was historically found throughout the Great Plains, mountain basins and semi-arid grasslands of North America wherever prairie dogs occurred. The species is listed as endangered under the AR-140109967Endangered Species Act of 1973.

The ferret’s close association with prairie dogs is an important factor in its decline. From the late 1800s to approximately the 1960s, conversion of native grasslands to cropland as well as poisoning and disease dramatically reduced prairie dog numbers. The ferret population declined as a result.

Read more:  Cortez Journal

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Conservation, Animal Welfare Groups to Forest Service: Reject Prairie Dog Poisonings on Thunder Basin

January 2, 2014 by PDP

Conservation and animal welfare organizations have joined forces to submit written comments urging the U.S. Forest Service to consider an alternative plan to poison prairie dog colonies on Wyoming’s Thunder Basin National Grassland within ¼ mile of private or state land.

The Humane Society of the United States, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, Defenders of Wildlife, WildEarth Guardians and others are leaders in this initiative that would save an estimated 16,000 prairie dogs.

In 2009, after years of planning and public input, officials set aside 85,000 acres in the Thunder Basin National Grassland as an area where prairie dogs would be protected from poisons and shooting. Today, this area contains the best prairie dog habitat on any National Grassland in America, but the U.S. Forest Service’s proposed plan would shrink this protected area by 22,000 acres.

Lindsey Sterling Krank, director of the Prairie Dog Coalition of The HSUS stated, “The Forest Service has to find a non-lethal and humane way to manage prairie dogs on Thunder Basin rather than spending taxpayer dollars on poison. The public and our nation’s wildlife deserve better.”

Read more:  HSUS

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This Adorable Video Will Make You Instantly Fall in Love with Prairie Dogs

December 16, 2013 by PDP

The Humane Society of the United States have just released an ADORABLE new clip called “Cute & Playful Prairie Dogs,” in which these wonderful creatures can be seen scurrying around their lands, foraging for food, and saying hello to the camera!

Check it out at:  PD Video

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Multiple Mates Worth the Risk for Female Prairie Dogs

December 4, 2013 by PDP

Dec. 4, 2013 — Mating with more than one male increases reproductive success for female prairie dogs, despite an increase in risks. This is according to a new study published in The Journal of Mammalogy by behavioral ecologist John Hoogland, Professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Appalachian Laboratory.

 

Read More at: Mating131204123740

Or even more at:  Science

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December 1, 2013 by PDP

American pioneers saw the endless stretches of grassland of the Great Plains as a place to produce grain and beef for a growing country. But one casualty was the native prairie ecosystem and animals that thrived only there.safe_image

Read more at:  Ferret

https://prairiedogpals.org/801/

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The Brutal Sport of Prairie Dog Hunting

November 27, 2013 by PDP

The other day I was reading up on passenger pigeons and the 19th-century slaughter that rushed a population of billions of birds into extinction over a matter of decades. It reminded me that the same sort of mindless killing happens in the United States even now. It made me think in particular of an afternoon I spent years ago near Rapid City, S.D., with a group of shooters who sometimes jokingly referred to themselves as “the red mist society,” because that’s what a prairie dog turns into on impact with one of their high-powered bullets.dogamgood2

Read more at: Senseless “Sport”

 

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Weems 2013

November 18, 2013 by PDP

Weems 2013 was a great success! The volunteers talked to many people on the merits of prairie dogs and we made over $1100 in sales and donations. Many thanks to all those who volunteered or who helped the prairie dogs by donating or purchasing merchandise. Remember Christmas is coming and time to stock up on prairie dog swag! Woo HooIMG_3835

https://prairiedogpals.org/autumn-start-date/ Tagged: events, fundraising, keystone species, outreach, volunteer

Meetings watch: Clovis City Commission

November 8, 2013 by PDP

The Clovis City Commission will meet 5:15 p.m. Thursday at the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library.

The agenda includes:

• A request to relocate prairie dogs on city land to Ector County, Texas, and use of water to help facilitate that animals’ removal from the ground.

Citizens for Prairie Dogs has twice sought city clearance to move the animals from Goodwin Lake, Ned Houk Park and O.G. Potter Park. The first time, Chaves County officials voiced opposition and the city commission voted the item down. The commission gave conditional approval to a move to Mitchell County, Texas, but Mitchell County officials made it clear the animals were not welcome there either.

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Boulder relocates 500 prairie dogs

October 30, 2013 by PDP

BOULDER- The City of Boulder is relocating about 500 prairie dogs to nearby grasslands, because they are causing some damage to the Foothills Community Park.99567338-gunnison-prairie copy

The project comes up to about $66,000 to move all of the prairie dogs. That works out to just over $132 per animal.

Read more at:  Boulder

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State stuck in killing mode

October 28, 2013 by PDP

With apologies to West Side Story….

I love to live in New Mexico
Everything’s shot in New Mexico
Guns are prizes in New Mexico
Nothing is safe in New Mexico
You can describe New Mexico in so many ways: big skies with mind-boggling sunsets, politically diverse, expansive, neighborly, God fearing, home of tourist attractions from national parks to soaring balloons, rough-hewn cowboys pulling up a bar chair next to Santa Fe sophisticates.

I would also call it unimaginative.  622x350

Our gun contests are boring. Let me make it clear up front. While there is a chance, if pressed, I might come down on the side of those who find such contests ill advised, my purpose here is not to argue the point.

Read more at:  Portales News-Tribune

 

 

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Prairie Dog Coalition Honors Con Slobodchikoff, Ph. D.

October 28, 2013 by PDP

The Prairie Dog Coalition, a program of The Humane Society of the United States, will honor those who have helped protect prairie dogs at the 9th annual “Living on Burrowed Time IX” gala on Oct. 26. This year’s event will celebrate and honor special guest Con Slobodchikoff, Ph. D. as Prairie Dog Protector of the Year.ConPortrait-1-3-06W1

Slobodchikoff, Ph. D., professor emeritus at Northern Arizona University, director of the Animal Language Institute, and president and CEO of Animal Communications, Ltd. Slobodchikoff is a world-renowned animal behaviorist who has been studying prairie dog communication for more than 30 years. Last year, he was featured on BBC and NPR for his research on animal communication and published Chasing Dr. Doolittle: Learning the Language of Animals.

Read more at:   PDC honors C. Slobodchikoff

 

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Surviving prairie dog from exterminated colony gains sympathizers

October 28, 2013 by PDP

Employees at businesses neighboring an exterminated prairie dog village have become protective of a lone survivor.  safe_image

Parker residents continue to talk about the apparent gassing of the now-barren colony, which encompassed at least half a dozen properties on the northeast corner of Mainstreet and Twenty Mile Road. There are no development plans for the land, a point that has some questioning why the extermination took place.

Read more here.

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A Letter to the Boulder Weekly

November 9, 2012 by PDP

As grievances with prairie dogs continue to grow throughout the West and colonies are being demolished, someone needs to be a strong voice for these tiny creatures. The Prairie Dog Coalition is dedicated to the protection of imperiled prairie dogs and restoration of their ecosystems.

A fortunate few have seen prairie dogs as they nibble on grass, run between burrows, touch noses and kiss. And it’s heartbreaking to know one day their presence may be gone. Survival of the prairie dog is critical to the continued existence of the prairie ecosystem–one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world.

Nine different wildlife species depend on prairie dog populations and their habitat for their survival. Endangered black-footed ferrets, owls, hawks, foxes and about 200 other species are associated with prairie dogs and their habitat.  By planning ahead and working prairie dogs into open space plans, we can help direct their path of migration to the best habitats for them. By setting aside conservation areas for this native, keystone animal we can enjoy the prairie dogs and their associated species in our natural environment.

Prairie dogs now occupy just 2 percent to 8 percent of their historic range, and without serious conservation efforts, they may soon disappear. We have a responsibility to do everything we can to help the prairie dog ecosystem recover so that future generations can enjoy healthy wildlife populations, too.

Training volunteers and professional wildlife biologists on the latest nonlethal techniques to manage prairie dog populations humanely is a good first step to help protect these animals and restore their ecosystems. To ensure the protection of prairie dogs and their ecosystem, we must work together. The Prairie Dog Coalition, managed by The Humane Society of the United States, is working to fulfill this mission by providing information and advocacy training, facilitating communication and planning, and promoting conservation projects.

Ultimately, a conscious concern for these animals is necessary for retaining the beauty and majestic nature that is the prairie dog and the North American grasslands. Help us put an end to their demise and invigorate the prairie ecosystem once again.

Lindsey Sterling-Krank, director of The Prairie Dog Coalition/Boulder

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Prairie Dog Facts

September 11, 2010 by PDP

  • Two of the five species of prairie dogs are protected under The Endangered Species Act. Black-tailed prairie dogs have been granted a “Warranted but Precluded” Threatened Species listing, which means that biologically they deserve protection but the government does not have the resources required for enforcement at this time.
  • Overall, prairie dogs inhabit less than 1% of their former range. New Mexico has the smallest remaining acreage of prairie dogs across their historical range. Best estimates on Gunnison’s populations are that they inhabit about 2% of their former region. This means overall numbers are dangerously low since their range is much smaller than that of the Black-tailed Prairie Dog. A surprisingly large percentage of remaining prairie dog colonies live in urban environments.
  • Black Footed FerretsPrairie dogs are known as a “keystone species.” Over 160 vertebrates alone are associated with large prairie dog colonies and over 80 on “urban” colonies. Possibly the world’s most endangered animal, the Black-footed Ferret, cannot live without prairie dogs. Some other federally protected species are nearly as dependent including the Ferruginous Hawk, the Burrowing Owl, the Swift Fox and the Mountain Plover. Biologists have termed them “perhaps the most important mammal on earth.”

Prairie dogs are important to their environment in three ways:

  • They are the primary prey on rangelands and their colonies also provide a greater density of other prey species.
  • They provide homes or shelters for dozens of species.
  • Their positive effect on soil and vegetation conditions.

 

  • Prairie dogs are annual breeders. About half of the females over two years of age will give birth to 3-5 pups in the spring. The overwhelming majority will not live six months.
  • Prairie dogs are highly social and possess the most complex language of any animal ever studied. They display different calls for raptors, coyotes, humans and even humans carrying guns. They have numerous other calls totaling over fifty distinct “words.” Kissing, hugging and grooming are regular pastimes. Burrows are much like homes possessing front and back doors, toilets, listening posts, sleeping quarters and storage rooms.
  • Poisoning prairie dogs is unacceptable. The primary poison used induces a slow, painful death that may take up to 72 hours. Other residents of their burrows suffer the same fate. Poisoning for population control is counter-productive. A mature colony left alone tends to expand about 2% per year. A poisoned colony expands at the rate of about 70% per year. Left to their own devices, prairie dogs experience their own natural population declines. They never undergo these decreases if we are constantly inducing our own, unnatural removal on their colonies.
  • Shooting definitely has a significant impact on prairie dog populations. One heavily shot area was reduced by 10,000 acres in just a couple of years. Shooting promotes disease, discourages other species from hunting or living in the colony, and is not “hunting.”

For more facts, visit 101 Questions and Answers about Prairie Dogs and Environmental Change and the Prairie Dog

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Prairie Dog Talking Points

September 11, 2010 by PDP

  • Prairie dogs are a keystone species with up to 205 associated vertebrates (9 considered dependent) living with them, using their burrows, or predating upon them
  • There are 5 species of prairie dogs. The ones in Albuquerque are Gunnison’s, the others include Mexican, Utah, white and black tailed.
  • Gunnison’s prairie dogs hibernate during the winter months.
  • Over the last 100 years prairie dogs have been reduced to 1% of their former range and 2% of their population.
  • Some of the species are listed under the Endangered Species Act. Others are being considered for listing.
  • New Mexico has the smallest remaining acreage of prairie dogs.
  • Prairie dogs are territorial and will remain in or near their ancestral habitat if at all possible. The prairie dogs you see here in Albuquerque are the remnants of vast prairie dog towns that existed for hundreds of years.
  • Prairie dogs live an average of 3-5 years in the wild.
  • Prairie dogs are annual breeders. 50% of females over 2 years of age will breed and produce an average of 4 pups.
  • Pups are usually born in early May and will emerge from their burrows after about thirty days.
  • Prairie dogs have the most complex language of any animal ever studied.
  • They have over 200 words and can form sentences identifying intruders by color, size and type of risk.
  • Burrows are complex with a different area for each function of life. There are living chambers, sleeping and nesting rooms, a food storage area,
  • toilet rooms, and flood chambers. The burrows themselves generally include a second entrance or escape way, air chambers, and listening posts in addition to the main entrance.
  • As with humans, prairie dogs are the victims of plague. Virus carrying fleas are brought into the colony by wild animals or off leash cats or dogs.
  • As they have no immunity to the plague they will die within days.
  • Poisoning prairie dogs in both cruel and ineffective. The poison causes a slow agonizing death that may take up to three days.
  • A mature colony tends to expand at approximately 2% annually. A poisoned colony can expand at an annual rate of 70%. Additionally the poison can pose a danger to humans, cats, dogs, and other animals in the area.

Information about Prairie Dogs Tagged: behavior, breeding, colonies, disease, Endangered Species Act, Gunnison, habitat, keystone species, language, plague, poison, range

Gunnison’s Prairie Dogs Facts

September 11, 2010 by PDP

Populations: The Ultimate Underdog

800px-Cynomys_ludovicianus5Gunnison’s Prairie Dogs are a White-tailed subspecies, which inhabits the four corners region. Once ubiquitous, current estimates place their populations at about 2 – 5% of their former range.

Two of the five species of prairie dogs are protected under the Endangered Species Act. There may be fewer Utah Prairie Dogs than Siberian Tigers. Black-tailed Prairie Dogs, the most numerous due their large range, are considered a Candidate for Threatened Listing. They meet all criteria for listing, but the Fish and Wildlife Service does not yet have the resources to enforce the listing, so they were placed on the Candidate List in 2000. They are on about 1% of their former range.

tipping pointEcological Importance: A ‘keystone species.’

Prairie dogs are a ‘keystone species,’ or most important element, of their environment.

Up to 160 other species benefit from their presence.

They enrich their environment in three ways:

  1. As the primary prey on rangelands.
  2. They build homes or shelter for many species.
  3. They alter vegetation and soil to promote optimum grazing conditions.

The Black-footed Ferret is the most endangered mammal on our continent and cannot live without prairie dogs under any circumstances.

The Ferruginous Hawk, Swift Fox, Mountain Plover, and Burrowing Owl, are considered  for or federally protected species that are considered dependent on prairie dogs. Several other species are considered dependent on prairie dogs. Several other species are considered dependent.

It’s a Dog’s Life: a Brief Description of the Prairie Dogs, Themselves

Prairie dogs possess, perhaps, the most complex language of any animal ever studied. Even more so than primates. They have over fifty primary ‘words’ and can communicate in sentences, distinguish color, speed, and level of threat through language.

Prairie dogs live in family units called ‘coteries’. They often ‘kiss’ in a familial identification. The animals commonly seen poised on their hindquarters are sentries, ever vigilant on the lookout for danger to themselves and families.

Prairie dogs are annual breeders. Fifty percent of females over two years of age will give birth to about 4 pups in the spring. There is tremendous juvenile mortality.

Prairie dogs live to be about five years old in the wild.

Burrows are complex, with separate ‘rooms’ for each function of life. Toilet chambers, sleeping quarters and storage typify a home burrow. Often, listening posts are created near the entrance for added protection. Some burrows have several entrances.

Gunnison’s and White-tailed Prairie Dogs hibernate, or go into torpor, as it is called, from about November through February. Black-tailed Prairie Dogs do not hibernate.

Information about Prairie Dogs Tagged: behavior, black-footed ferret, Burrowing Owls, burrows, Endangered Species Act, Gunnison, habitat, hibernation, keystone species, language, owls, white-tailed prairie dogs

Prairie Dogs Play Vital Role in Grasslands

December 9, 2009 by PDP

From the Billings Gazette:

In a recent article on prairie dogs, it is mentioned that their main purpose  in the world is to feed other plains animals, provide homes for owls and plague  the herds, fields and wallets of ranchers and farmers. While all of these  functions are legitimate, it did not mention the main importance of prairie  dogs.

Long before trappers, explorers and settlers arrived, much of the prairie had  already been formed — not by cattle or hikers who didn’t stay on the trail, but  by millions of animals, namely buffalo, elk and deer. These animals, in  incredible herds that now only exist in hunters dreams, nearly deforested the  entire Midwest. The buffalo also have another purpose in plains ecology: to  wallow. Wallowing is when a buffalo rolls around on its back, creating a depression in the ground. This depression allowed water to collect, providing  water for other animals and allowing plant life to flourish. It also allows  water to flow directly to the water table. Without these massive herds, the  water falls onto hard ground and quickly evaporates.

Prairie dogs dig their burrows, sometimes 50 holes an acre, all across the  plains. These burrows go down several feet, letting rain water flow directly to  roots of the grass. It also allows water to replenish the water table and  underground aquifers. Now that water levels are dropping and Western cities are  growing nervous, prairie dogs will need to have large numbers to balance human  water use by replenishing our ground water systems and underground aquifers.

https://prairiedogpals.org/autumn-start-date/ Tagged: burrows, ecology, grasslands, ground water, habitat, keystone species, owls

Recent News

2023 PDP General Meeting Minutes

March 12, 2023 By PDP

The annual meeting of Prairie Dog Pals was conducted on 4 February 2023 via zoom.  The link to  the meeting minutes follows:  Meeting Minutes

Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 13, 2023 By PDP

Estimating parasite infrapopulation size given imperfect detection: Proof-of-concept with ectoparasitic fleas on prairie dogs

February 11, 2023 By PDP

Estimating parasite infrapopulation size given imperfect detection: Proof-of-concept with ectoparasitic fleas on prairie dogs Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2023 Jan 7;20:117-121. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.01.002. eCollection 2023 Apr. Authors David A Eads  1 , Kathryn P Huyvaert  2 , Dean E Biggins  1 Affiliations 1 U. S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building C, […]

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