Utah Prairie DogA Lesson in Conservation Management

Presented by …

Introduction• Scientific name: Cynomys

parvidens

• The only mammal that is completely endemic to Utah

• Smallest species of Prairie Dog in North America

• Member of the Squirrel family

Habitat and Range

● Found in the central and southwestern part of Utah

● Short grassland habitat in mountain valleys (prairies)

● Deep, well-drained soil and vegetation that they can see over

● 5,400-feet on valley floors up to 9,500-feet in mountain habitats

Biology and Behavior

•Burrow system• Social colonies• Diurnal • Hibernate• Diet: grasses,

alfalfa, flowers, seeds, and insects.

• Predator alert system

• 5-8 year lifespan

History- Decimation/Population #s• The decline of the Utah prairie dog began in the 1920s when

programs were made to control their population size

• 50 years later, only 37 colonies were left, which was about 3000 individual prairie dogs

Threats

• Plague• Urban development• Overgrazing• Climate change• Energy resource exploration

Keystone Species• Def: Species on which another species in an ecosystem

largely depend on. • Main predator: Black-footed ferret • Trophic cascade concept

–Black-footed ferrets depend on prairie dogs for food and for homes for their offspring

–When prairie dog numbers start to decline, this hurts the black-footed ferrets as well

Plague• Bubonic plague is a disease that affects

prairie dogs.• It’s passed between prairie dogs by

fleas.• When there is an outbreak, it will often

wipe out the entire colony.• Dusting dens with pesticides to kill fleas

is the main method of controlling the disease from spreading. Scientists are also working towards developing a vaccine.

• DO NOT TOUCH DEAD ANIMALS

Endangered Species Act• The Endangered Species Act

(ESA) is a government law that protects species to prevent them from going extinct.

• From 1929 to 1976, Utah prairie dogs went from 100,000 individuals to 4,000.

• Because of this, they were added to the ESA as an Endangered species.

• Utah prairie dogs were protected by the law, as well as the land they lived on. For example, prairie dogs couldn’t be trapped and their land wasn’t allowed to be built on.

Conservation Status• Utah Fish and Wildlife Services and

Utah Division of Wildlife Services worked hard to protect Utah prairie dogs and their land.

• In 1984, the number of prairie dogs had grown to 34,000 and weren’t considered endangered anymore, so the ESA changed their status to Threatened.

• Laws are now less strict, for example, people can build on prairie dog land if they get a permit, but there are still laws and regulations protecting them.

Recovery Plan• USFWS recovery plan

–Protect habitat

–Translocation

–Dusting for plague

Who’s Helping?USFWS

Utah Prairie Dog Oversight Group (UPDOG)

National Parks

What Can YOU Do?

Be aware

Spread awareness

Adopt a Prairie Dog

Questions or Comments?

What we’ve donehttp://utahlovesutahprairiedogs.blogspot.com/

To do our part in helping the Utah prairie dog we:

● Got in contact with UPDOG and Bryce Canyon National Park to gain more information about Utah prairie dog management and actions we could take to help.

● Asked corporations to consider donating to organizations that work to help the Utah prairie dog.

● Created a lesson plan to help other educators more easily teach others and made this lesson plan easily accessible.

● Made a poster to help educate others and made it accessible for others to use for educational purposes.

● Presented to a class to educate them about the plight of the Utah prairie dog and its importance.

Our Presentation!