Effects of habitat quality on growth, age of first reproduction, and dispersal in Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni)

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
pp. 2835-2840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda S. Rayor
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Maturity ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Adult Weight ◽  
Cynomys Gunnisoni ◽  
South Central ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Gunnison's Prairie Dogs

Populations of the highly social Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni) were studied at two sites in south central Colorado. The sites differed in availability of water, duration of the growing season, and the diversity and quantity of edible vegetation. At the lusher site, Quartz Creek, all age- and sex classes weighed significantly more than their counterparts at the more barren site, Blue Mesa. Growth rates and overwinter survival of Quartz Creek young were higher than at Blue Mesa. Two of 5 yearling females raised litters at Quartz Creek, whereas none of 15 yearling females weaned litters at Blue Mesa. Quartz Creek females produced larger litters [Formula: see text] than Blue Mesa females [Formula: see text]. At Quartz Creek, 6 of 17 yearlings dispersed from their natal harem, but none of the 31 yearlings at Blue Mesa dispersed. Thus, in a favorable habitat, Gunnison's prairie dogs were heavier, reached sexual maturity more rapidly, and dispersed at a younger age than in a less favorable habitat. These results provide intraspecific support for Armitage's hypothesis that delayed sexual maturity and dispersal in the large-bodied, social ground squirrels is associated with the age at which immatures attain adult weight.

An Epizootic of Plague in Gunnison's Prairie Dogs (Cynomys Gunnisoni) in South-Central Colorado

Ecology ◽  
1968 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 734-743 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. R. Lechleitner ◽  
L. Kartman ◽  
M. I. Goldenberg ◽  
B. W. Hudson
Keyword(s):  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Cynomys Gunnisoni ◽  
South Central ◽  
Gunnison's Prairie Dogs

scholarly journals A Novel Retrovirus (Gunnison’s Prairie Dog Retrovirus) Associated With Thymic Lymphoma in Gunnison’s Prairie Dogs in Colorado, USA

Viruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 606
Author(s):  
Molly D. Butler ◽  
Karen Griffin ◽  
Connie D. Brewster ◽  
Marylee L. Kapuscinski ◽  
Mark D. Stenglein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Surveillance ◽  
Cynomys Ludovicianus ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Thymic Lymphoma ◽  
Type D ◽  
Cynomys Gunnisoni ◽  
Cynomys Leucurus ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Gunnison's Prairie Dogs

As part of research and wildlife disease surveillance efforts, we performed necropsy examinations of 125 free-ranging (n = 114) and captive (n = 11) prairie dogs in Colorado from 2009 to 2017. From these cases, we identified three cases of thymic lymphoma in free-ranging Gunnison’s prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni), and we identified a novel retroviral sequence associated with these tumors. The viral sequence is 7700 nucleotides in length and exhibits a genetic organization that is consistent with the characteristics of a type D betaretrovirus. The proposed name of this virus is Gunnison’s prairie dog retrovirus (GPDRV). We screened all 125 prairie dogs for the presence of GPDRV using PCR with envelope-specific primers and DNA extracted from spleen samples. Samples were from Gunnison’s prairie dogs (n = 59), black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) (n = 40), and white-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys leucurus) (n = 26). We identified GPDRV in a total of 7/125 (5.6%) samples including all three of the prairie dogs with thymic lymphoma, as well as spleen from an additional four Gunnison’s prairie dogs with no tumors recognized at necropsy. None of the GPDRV-negative Gunnison’s prairie dogs had thymic lymphomas. We also identified a related, apparently endogenous retroviral sequence in all prairie dog samples. These results suggest that GPDRV infection may lead to development of thymic lymphoma in Gunnison’s prairie dogs.

scholarly journals First Genome Sequence of the Gunnison’s Prairie Dog (Cynomys gunnisoni), a Keystone Species and Player in the Transmission of Sylvatic Plague

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 618-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirian T N Tsuchiya ◽  
Rebecca B Dikow ◽  
Loren Cassin-Sackett
Keyword(s):  
Large Body ◽  
Keystone Species ◽  
Single Copy ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Sylvatic Plague ◽  
Avian Predators ◽  
Cynomys Gunnisoni

Abstract Prairie dogs (genus Cynomys) are a charismatic symbol of the American West. Their large social aggregations and complex vocalizations have been the subject of scientific and popular interest for decades. A large body of literature has documented their role as keystone species of western North America’s grasslands: They generate habitat for other vertebrates, increase nutrient availability for plants, and act as a food source for mammalian, squamate, and avian predators. An additional keystone role lies in their extreme susceptibility to sylvatic plague (caused by Yersinia pestis), which results in periodic population extinctions, thereby generating spatiotemporal heterogeneity in both biotic communities and ecological processes. Here, we report the first Cynomys genome for a Gunnison’s prairie dog (C. gunnisoni gunnisoni) from Telluride, Colorado (USA). The genome was constructed using a hybrid assembly of PacBio and Illumina reads and assembled with MaSuRCA and PBJelly, which resulted in a scaffold N50 of 824 kb. Total genome size was 2.67 Gb, with 32.46% of the bases occurring in repeat regions. We recovered 94.9% (91% complete) of the single copy orthologs using the mammalian Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs database and detected 49,377 gene models (332,141 coding regions). Pairwise Sequentially Markovian Coalescent showed support for long-term stable population size followed by a steady decline beginning near the end of the Pleistocene, as well as a recent population reduction. The genome will aid in studies of mammalian evolution, disease resistance, and the genomic basis of life history traits in ground squirrels.

Plague in a Colony of Gunnison's Prairie Dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni) Despite Three Years of Infusions of Burrows with 0.05% Deltamethrin to Kill Fleas

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 347-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Hoogland ◽  
Dean E. Biggins ◽  
Nathaniel Blackford ◽  
David A. Eads ◽  
Dustin Long ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Cynomys Gunnisoni ◽  
Gunnison's Prairie Dogs

What is the best way to estimate vigilance? A comparison of two methods for Gunnison's prairie dogs, Cynomys gunnisoni

2016 ◽  
Vol 121 ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian M. Hirschler ◽  
Jennifer L. Gedert ◽  
Jessica Majors ◽  
Tucker Townsend ◽  
John L. Hoogland
Keyword(s):  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Cynomys Gunnisoni ◽  
Gunnison's Prairie Dogs

Resource availability influences global social network properties in Gunnison’s prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni)

Behaviour ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Ferenc Jordán ◽  
Bálint Kovács ◽  
Jennifer L. Verdolin
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Resource Availability ◽  
Network Size ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Word Index ◽  
Cynomys Gunnisoni ◽  
Network Connectedness ◽  
Network Properties ◽  
Gunnison's Prairie Dogs

Abstract Increasingly we are discovering that the interactions between individuals within social groups can be quite complex and flexible. Social network analysis offers a toolkit to describe and quantify social structure, the patterns we observe, and evaluate the social and environmental factors that shape group dynamics. Here, we used 14 Gunnison’s prairie dogs networks to evaluate how resource availability and network size influenced four global properties of the networks (centralization, clustering, average path length, small word index). Our results suggest a positive correlation between overall network cohesion and resource availability, such that networks became less centralized and cliquish as biomass/m2 availability decreased. We also discovered that network size modulates the link between social interactions and resource availability and is consistent with a more ‘decentralized’ group. This study highlights the importance of how individuals modify social cohesions and network connectedness as a way to reduce intragroup competition under different ecological conditions.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Eimeria (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) in Reintroduced Gunnison's Prairie Dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni)

2001 ◽  
Vol 145 (2) ◽  
pp. 409-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. RYAN ◽  
K. H. DECKER ◽  
D. W. DUSZYNSKI
Keyword(s):  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Cynomys Gunnisoni ◽  
Gunnison's Prairie Dogs

A comparison of hibernation in the black-tailed prairie dog, white-tailed prairie dog, and Wyoming ground squirrel

1986 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 793-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry J. Harlow ◽  
George E. Menkens Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Temperature ◽  
Related Species ◽  
Ground Squirrel ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Winter Survival ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Closely Related Species

Black-tailed prairie dogs have been reported to be active above ground during periods throughout the year and have, therefore, been described as being incapable of hibernation. Previous laboratory studies, however, have suggested that this may not be true. We have found that during the winter when maintained under identical conditions, Wyoming ground squirrels and white-tailed prairie dogs will enter torpor at an ambient temperature of 7 °C, while black-tailed prairie dogs will not. However, when deprived of food and water, black-tailed prairie dogs can be induced into a state of torpor that is characterized by a shorter duration of continuous dormancy than that of the ground squirrels or white-tailed prairie dogs. A comparison of these sciurid rodents offers a good example of alternate strategies for winter survival among closely related species. While two of these species readily utilize torpor, black-tailed prairie dogs may rely on alternate physiological capacities to cope with food and water shortage as a partial substitute for winter torpor.

Resources, not male mating strategies, are a determinant of social structure in Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni)

Behaviour ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 144 (11) ◽  
pp. 1361-1382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Social Structure ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Territory Size ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Cynomys Gunnisoni ◽  
Male Mating Strategies ◽  
Gunnison's Prairie Dogs

AbstractPrevious studies of Gunnison's prairie dogs, Cynomys gunnisoni, have reached different conclusions about the factors influencing sociality in this species. In this study I tested whether Gunnison's prairie dog social structure was resource-based or whether male mating strategies drive the organizational patterns observed. Group size, where the term group refers to individuals occupying the same territory, was predicted by territory size and density of food available. The spatial overlap of adults within territories was positively correlated with spatial patchiness of food resources. All group members participated in territory defense, although adult males engaged in significantly more intergroup aggressive interactions. There was no significant difference in adult male and female home range size. The number of female home ranges that any given male home range overlapped was not correlated with male body mass, male home range size, or territory size. Contrary to predictions of typical mammalian male mating strategies, adult females ranged significantly further than males during the mating period. Body mass of males and nonreproductive females was similar, whereas that of reproductive females was smaller. In addition, males and females did not differ in size, based on skull length and skull width. Results from this study strongly suggest that patterns of space use and social structure in Gunnison's prairie dogs are the result of individual responses to resource abundance and distribution and are not due to male mating strategies, such as resource defense or female defense polygyny.

scholarly journals Prairie dogs increase fitness by killing interspecific competitors

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1827) ◽  
pp. 20160144 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Hoogland ◽  
Charles R. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Competition ◽  
Ground Squirrels ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Serial Killers ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Natural Conditions ◽  
First Case ◽  
Cynomys Leucurus ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Interspecific Killing

Interspecific competition commonly selects for divergence in ecology, morphology or physiology, but direct observation of interspecific competition under natural conditions is difficult. Herbivorous white-tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys leucurus ) employ an unusual strategy to reduce interspecific competition: they kill, but do not consume, herbivorous Wyoming ground squirrels ( Urocitellus elegans ) encountered in the prairie dog territories. Results from a 6-year study in Colorado, USA, revealed that interspecific killing of ground squirrels by prairie dogs was common, involving 47 different killers; 19 prairie dogs were serial killers in the same or consecutive years, and 30% of female prairie dogs killed at least one ground squirrel over their lifetimes. Females that killed ground squirrels had significantly higher annual and lifetime fitness than non-killers, probably because of decreased interspecific competition for vegetation. Our results document the first case of interspecific killing of competing individuals unrelated to predation (IK) among herbivorous mammals in the wild, and show that IK enhances fitness for animals living under natural conditions.

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