In 1805, President Thomas Jefferson received an unusual gift: a live "barking squirrel" sent by explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark from the American West.
Prairie dogs!! 💚 Love them and unhappy to know their numbers have decreased significantly. I will never understand why humans believe we should be "relocating" nature. I am happy for Dr. Jennifer Verdolin's use of JMP statistical software to aid in her research.
Prairie dogs are not native to central Illinois / mores the pity - I hope they are able to survive. Interesting that their burrows are used by other kinds of animals. Like snakes. Hmm
I absolutely love prairie dogs! Thank you for this article. These guys are fighters! They are a keystone species and three fourths of Gunnison (named after Gunnison, Colorado) Prairie Dogs live in Arizona & New Mexico. These cute creatures live in large part in Las Cienegas National Conservation Area in beautiful grassland country of Sonoita, in Easteren AZ, 15 miles from the Mexico Border. This was a relocation project to restore their population and their role in grassland ecosystem after being poisoned out of existence by Az in the 1960s. This project included Sonora, Mexico. Their colony has doubled in size over the past 4 years. This was a "reintroduction" of these prairie dogs to its historical natural habitat. The black tailed dogs are prolific now in Flagstaff and the Four Corners region also.
Arizona at one time saw these smart creatures as "pests" and control policies were put into action. By 1960 the species was extirpated in Arizona. But they didn't go down lightly. The Gunnison Prairie Dogs are now back and provide a unique and significant service that no other species can fill. As you have explained so well, many species specifically in Az use their burrows, including the protected burrowing owls. They are also a common prey and primary diet for many Az animals including coyotes, bobcats, hawks and eagles. When prairie dogs are removed, these animals also decline. 150 species depend on them for survival.
I am so glad Dr. Jennifer Verdolin from UofA (graduate school at NAU in Flagstaff) in Tucson is using JMP, visualization analytic software, to provide a wider and more ecologically smarter relocation policies for this keystone species that provide states like Arizona with so much, adding to our ecosystem. We are lucky to have these resilient cuties.
I will never understand how anyone can hunt these creatures nor why the AZGF have policies that allow this. I was lucky enough to live in Sonoita and have observed their colonies up close. We are indebted to them and should never kill them. They represent the best of the American West dream as did Lewis and Clark. "With the wild in their eyes it is they who must die and we who must measure the loss."
Thank you, Rena! Arizona is so diverse and I love the history of these little guys as they make their comeback from being the "underdogs" to helping restore our state's ecosystem. 🦫🦉
Excellent article. I need to hang on to this to share with those who feel the prairie dogs are growing beyond their bounds in some areas, specifically the First Peoples Buffalo Jump not far from me in Ulm, MT. There are several very large colonies, but it's wonderful to have such healthy populations. (On a side note, the burrowing owls were off the charts this season.)
On a separate note, what areas of Montana did you visit? Did you float the Missouri at all?
What a fascinating article on, of all things, Prairie Dogs💗 I’ve seen them and find them (and their barking) very cute! Thanks for an illuminating article as well as the interesting commentary that followed‼️
Prairie dogs!! 💚 Love them and unhappy to know their numbers have decreased significantly. I will never understand why humans believe we should be "relocating" nature. I am happy for Dr. Jennifer Verdolin's use of JMP statistical software to aid in her research.
Prairie dogs are not native to central Illinois / mores the pity - I hope they are able to survive. Interesting that their burrows are used by other kinds of animals. Like snakes. Hmm
It was a fascinating journey to dive into the lives of prairie dogs.
I absolutely love prairie dogs! Thank you for this article. These guys are fighters! They are a keystone species and three fourths of Gunnison (named after Gunnison, Colorado) Prairie Dogs live in Arizona & New Mexico. These cute creatures live in large part in Las Cienegas National Conservation Area in beautiful grassland country of Sonoita, in Easteren AZ, 15 miles from the Mexico Border. This was a relocation project to restore their population and their role in grassland ecosystem after being poisoned out of existence by Az in the 1960s. This project included Sonora, Mexico. Their colony has doubled in size over the past 4 years. This was a "reintroduction" of these prairie dogs to its historical natural habitat. The black tailed dogs are prolific now in Flagstaff and the Four Corners region also.
Arizona at one time saw these smart creatures as "pests" and control policies were put into action. By 1960 the species was extirpated in Arizona. But they didn't go down lightly. The Gunnison Prairie Dogs are now back and provide a unique and significant service that no other species can fill. As you have explained so well, many species specifically in Az use their burrows, including the protected burrowing owls. They are also a common prey and primary diet for many Az animals including coyotes, bobcats, hawks and eagles. When prairie dogs are removed, these animals also decline. 150 species depend on them for survival.
I am so glad Dr. Jennifer Verdolin from UofA (graduate school at NAU in Flagstaff) in Tucson is using JMP, visualization analytic software, to provide a wider and more ecologically smarter relocation policies for this keystone species that provide states like Arizona with so much, adding to our ecosystem. We are lucky to have these resilient cuties.
I will never understand how anyone can hunt these creatures nor why the AZGF have policies that allow this. I was lucky enough to live in Sonoita and have observed their colonies up close. We are indebted to them and should never kill them. They represent the best of the American West dream as did Lewis and Clark. "With the wild in their eyes it is they who must die and we who must measure the loss."
This is a wonderful history, Sharon, thank you!
Thank you, Rena! Arizona is so diverse and I love the history of these little guys as they make their comeback from being the "underdogs" to helping restore our state's ecosystem. 🦫🦉
Excellent article. I need to hang on to this to share with those who feel the prairie dogs are growing beyond their bounds in some areas, specifically the First Peoples Buffalo Jump not far from me in Ulm, MT. There are several very large colonies, but it's wonderful to have such healthy populations. (On a side note, the burrowing owls were off the charts this season.)
On a separate note, what areas of Montana did you visit? Did you float the Missouri at all?
What a fascinating article on, of all things, Prairie Dogs💗 I’ve seen them and find them (and their barking) very cute! Thanks for an illuminating article as well as the interesting commentary that followed‼️