Northern Colorado Prairie Dog Advocates

09/05/2022

Welcome to one of Colorado’s longest-running debates over how much time, money and emotional energy should be spent on prairie dogs.

08/26/2022

Good Evening, Friends,

In grasslands across North America, Prairie Dogs build their intricate underground colonies, aptly called Prairie Dog towns, which serve as shelter for countless animals, including toads, rattlesnakes, rabbits, Burrowing Owls, and many more. Not only do Prairie Dog burrows provide key protection for all kinds of shortgrass prairie wildlife, but Prairie Dogs themselves are a key food source for everything from Ferruginous Hawks, Bobcats, Coyotes, Badgers, and even the critically-endangered Black-Footed Ferret.

In Colorado, Prairie Dogs are listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need. More than 140 other species depend–in whole or in part–on Prairie Dogs. Their disappearance from native ecosystems leads to catastrophic ecosystem collapse because so many other animals depend on them.

Colorado is home to three Prairie Dog species: the White-Tailed Prairie Dog, the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog, and the Gunnison’s Prairie Dog. Although there are similarities between the three, each is unique in terms of its habitat requirements, social structure, and conservation needs.

The sad truth is that there were once hundreds of millions of Prairie Dogs throughout the Central and Western United States, but over time, their historic range has diminished to less than 5% of its original size. The Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), which inhabits vast tracts of Eastern Colorado, was once estimated to range across seven million acres in our State alone.

Industrial development and human activity have been merciless drivers of habitat loss and fragmentation, while indiscriminate hunting, trapping, and the highly malignant Sylvatic Plague are responsible for wiping-out their numbers to less than 2% of what they once were.

It’s a commonplace myth that Prairie Dogs spread the plague. Sylvatic Plague is spread by fleas, and in 90% of cases, it is fatal to Prairie Dogs, meaning they sicken and die of the disease often too quickly to be a significant risk to people. Epidemiologists often look to the health of Prairie Dog colonies to determine if the plague is present in a community. Sudden die-offs of entire Prairie Dog colonies are cause for concern.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife continues to be a national leader in developing a plague vaccine for Prairie Dogs. Scientists, landowners, and wildlife agencies are working in close consultation with one another to ensure this indispensable Keystone Species continues to thrive for the good of the ecosystems in which they live and the countless other animals who depend on them for survival.

06/20/2022

Happy Solstice!

04/09/2022

Yes!

Spring Release: 22 prairie dogs were released at the refuge today by Nancy and Frances. The process started early in Albuquerque where Frances loaded up the prairie dogs into kennels, marshaled the food, and loaded up the suburban. She met up with Nancy at the refuge and they drove out to Murphy and Edinburrow. These were no nonsense prairie dogs as evidenced during loading and they hadn't calmed down on the drive out. They were ready to be released. C Rex and Nancy had been out the week before scoping and clearing burrows so it was a matter of putting the right families in the grouped burrows. The weather was great and the release went smoothly.

A note of interest, during the spring captures C Rex and Frances visited the Antique Connection a number of times and caught the last 4 prairie dogs and 4 squirrels who had moved in. The squirrels were released elsewhere but the 4 prairie dogs were among those released today. Soooo another lot cleared. These had to go as the owner is preparing to develop the lot!

Here's one of the new occupants that Nance is introducing into his new "digs"!

Great job!

03/22/2022

By gaining a better understanding of prairie dog behavior, land managers can customize activities that reduce any potential harms to agricultural production.

02/02/2022

Happy Prairie Dog Day. Such characters.

01/29/2022