Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

Thursday, February 2, 2006
Prairie Dog Protection Urged in Western Twist on Groundhog Day

In its 4th annual twist on the U.S. celebration of February 2 as Groundhog Day, WildEarth Guardians, along with the cities of Santa Fe and Albuquerque proclaim this day Prairie Dog Day
Contact: WildEarth Guardians

Santa Fe, NM – In its 4th annual twist on the U.S. celebration of February 2 as Groundhog Day, WildEarth Guardians has taken a series of actions aimed at protecting prairie dogs.

On request from WildEarth Guardians, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez and Santa Fe City Councilors have declared today Prairie Dog Day. WildEarth Guardians and partner groups filed a lawsuit today over the failure of the federal government to upgrade Endangered Species Act protections for the Utah Prairie Dog, located in southwestern Utah. The group also recently launched efforts to safeguard Black-tailed Prairie Dogs from a construction project at the Denver Federal Center and from poisoning and shooting on the Comanche and Cimarron National Grasslands in southeast Colorado and southwest Kansas.

“Prairie dogs have long been persecuted, and all five species are now imperiled. It’s time to give these keystone creatures the protection they deserve. The fate of prairie dogs tells us about more than the weather: it will determine the future of the many wildlife species that depend on prairie dog colonies,” stated Dr. Nicole Rosmarino of WildEarth Guardians.

For 120 years, every February 2, the national spotlight has been on a woodchuck named Punxsutawney Phil. Phil saw his shadow this morning, predicting that winter will last another six weeks. In the West, when a prairie dog sees his shadow, it is often in the form of a looming bulldozer or an exterminator. WildEarth Guardians and elected officials are seeking to give Punxsutawney Phil’s Western cousins their due by making February 2 a day to celebrate the prairie dog of the American Southwest and Great Plains.

“I wholeheartedly support efforts to protect prairie dogs,” stated Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace.

Prairie dogs are keystone species, which play an especially important role in their ecosystem. Hawks, eagle, badgers, coyotes, and others depend on prairie dogs as prey, a variety of small mammals and reptiles use prairie dog burrows for shelter, and large native grazers, such as bison, elk, and pronghorn, prefer to feed on prairie dog colonies. Black-footed ferrets are among the most endangered mammals on earth, and that imperiled status is traced directly to prairie dog declines. Ferrets cannot survive in the wild outside of prairie dog towns and over 90% of their diet is prairie dogs. Other species which have declined alongside decreases in prairie dogs include the mountain plover, swift fox, ferruginous hawk, and burrowing owl.

Prairie dogs also have a highly complex communication system – the most sophisticated yet documented among non-human animals. Dr. Con Slobodchikoff at Northern Arizona University has pioneered research over the past two decades that has demonstrated a prairie dog language system which distinguishes between types of predators, specific characteristics of humans, and indicates learning and memory.

“Our findings on the complexity of prairie dog communications should inspire us to take a second look at this animal. Rather than viewing prairie dogs as varmints, it’s time to recognize that they are fascinating and important components of the natural landscape,” stated Dr. Con Slobodchikoff of Northern Arizona University.

Prairie dogs have declined by over 90% during the past 100 years. These declines are due to massive extermination efforts carried out by the federal government because of the now debunked myth that prairie dogs harm ranching operations, and continued threats from shooting, poisoning of prairie dogs, and destruction of their habitat from urban development, conversion to cropland, and oil and gas drilling.

There are five species of prairie dogs and all have been listed or petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act. A finding by the federal government on the merits of WildEarth Guardians’ petition to list the Gunnison’s Prairie Dog (found in the Four Corners area) is expected to be released soon, as a result of a court order. The Utah Prairie Dog is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act, but WildEarth Guardians and others have petitioned for its reclassification to Endangered status due to its critically imperiled condition. The other species are the White-tailed Prairie Dog (petitioned by Center for Native Ecosystems and others for listing in 2002), the Black-tailed Prairie Dog (petitioned for listing in 1998), and the Mexican Prairie Dog (listed as Endangered).

For background information and questions, contact Dr. Nicole Rosmarino at nrosmarino@fguardians.org or 505-988-9126×156 or visit www.fguardians.org. WildEarth Guardians is a conservation group dedicated to the protection of wildlands and wildlife in the American southwest, with offices in Santa Fe and Denver.