scholarly journals Dispersal Activities of the Black-Tailed Prarie Dog of Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

1981 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 96-105
Author(s):  
Monte Garrett ◽  
William Franklin
Keyword(s):  
South Dakota ◽  
National Park ◽  
Cynomys Ludovicianus ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Native Prairie ◽  
Chronic Problem

The increase in the size and number of black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys) ludovicianus) colonies in Wind Cave National Park has been a chronic problem since periodic poisoning programs were discontinued in the mid-1960s. In 1967, there were an estimated 254 hectares of prairie dog colonies in the park (Lovaas 1972). Aerial photographs in 1978 indicated an excess of 500 hectares (Dalsted et al. 1981). This worsening condition is alarming to park managers because 1) the native prairie component of the park is shrinking every year due to encroachment of forest and modification by prairie dogs, 2) prairie dogs are believed to be competing for forage with other grazing wildlife (e.g., buffalo and elk), and 3) the park is being accused by local landowners of being a reservoir for prairie dogs infesting adjacent rangeland.

scholarly journals Dispersal Activities of the Black-Tailed Prarie Dog in Wind Cave National Park

1980 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 98-101
Author(s):  
Monte Garrett ◽  
William Franklin
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Cynomys Ludovicianus ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Basic Knowledge ◽  
Population Increase ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Native Prairie ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Resource Managers

The population of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) in Wind Cave National Park has been rapidly expanding since periodic poisoning programs were discontinued in the mid-1960s. This population increase is alarming to park resource managers because: 1) the native prairie component of the park is shrinking every year due to encroachment of forest and modification by prairiedogs; 2) the loss of productive range is believed to be reducing the park's capacity to support other wildlife species; and 3) the park is being accused by local landowners of being a reservoir for prairie dogs infesting adjacent rangeland. Since lethal control measures on these animals have been discouraged (NPS Advisory Board 1980), basic knowledge of prairie dog dispersal is necessary in order to better manage the park's resources.

scholarly journals Observations of Bobcats, Lynx rufus, Hunting Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs, Cynomys ludovicianus, in Western South Dakota

2010 ◽  
Vol 124 (3) ◽  
pp. 209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel S. Licht
Keyword(s):  
South Dakota ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Lynx Rufus ◽  
The Other ◽  
Cynomys Ludovicianus ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Winter Diet ◽  
Hunting Strategies ◽  
Close Proximity

There is a paucity of scientific literature describing Bobcat (Lynx rufus) hunting strategies. I document 13 observations of Bobcats hunting Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) in western South Dakota. In all cases the Bobcats stationed themselves next to a prairie dog mound in an attempt to ambush prairie dogs emerging from their burrows. In eight cases the Bobcats successfully captured a prairie dog emerging from the burrow, in one case the Bobcat turned and captured a prairie dog that had walked up behind it, and in the other cases the Bobcats lunged at the burrow openings, but did not capture a prairie dog. There were two variations of the tactic: in some cases Bobcats entered a colony prior to prairie dog emergence and stationed themselves next to a mound, whereas in other cases Bobcats stationed themselves next to a burrow that a prairie dog had just escaped to. One Bobcat appeared to have waited next to the same mound for at least 7.5 hr. Prairie dogs may comprise a large portion of a Bobcat's winter diet in landscapes where prairie dog colonies exist in close proximity to badlands or woody cover.

Coyote (Canis latrans) predation of colonial rodents facilitated by Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos)

2021 ◽  
Vol 135 (2) ◽  
pp. 120-123
Author(s):  
Thomas S. Jung
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Canis Latrans ◽  
Cynomys Ludovicianus ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Scientific Interest ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Aquila Chrysaetos ◽  
Avian Predators ◽  
Large Colony ◽  
Golden Eagles

Interactions between Coyote (Canis latrans) and Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) are complex and likely not yet fully documented or understood. I observed a Coyote prey on a Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) at the edge of a large colony in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan. The prairie dogs were vigilant toward three Golden Eagles circling above, and the Coyote apparently used this to its advantage. As such, the eagles appeared to facilitate the ability of the Coyote to rush in virtually undetected and prey on a prairie dog that was distracted by the avian predators. This observation is of scientific interest because it is another example of the varied interactions between Coyotes and Golden Eagles, which is competitive and includes kleptoparasitism.

scholarly journals Changes in Vegetation Associated with the Removal of Prairie Dogs

1989 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 161-163
Author(s):  
Barry Bennett ◽  
Jane Bock
Keyword(s):  
Seed Bank ◽  
National Park ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Cynomys Ludovicianus ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Vegetation Changes ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Total Acreage

From 1938 to 1982 the total acreage of Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) towns in Wind Cave National Park increased from 290 to 750 ha. In 1982 a management plan was introduced that reduced the area covered by prairie dog towns to 290 acres. The objective of this study is to monitor vegetation changes that occur following the removal of prairie dogs. These data will prove useful in developing management plans for the removed prairie dog towns and also provide useful data on the vegetation and seed bank composition on the Wind Cave National Park grasslands.

scholarly journals Estimating Population Densities of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs

1994 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 31-34
Author(s):  
Kieth Severson ◽  
Glenn Plumb
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Cynomys Ludovicianus ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Population Estimates ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Usda Forest Service ◽  
Mark Recapture ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Park Service

The recent black-footed ferret reintroduction into the Conata Basin area of west­central South Dakota has prompted managers of USDA Forest Service, Buffalo Gap National Grasslands and National Park Service, Badlands National Park, to reassess methods of determining population size of black-tailed prairie dogs Cynomys ludovicianus. Most agencies are currently relying on a protocol developed by Biggins et al. (1993) to assess black-footed ferret habitat, a section of which deals with prey abundance. The protocol is based on population estimates derived from counting the number of active burrows. The justification for this was a set of unpublished data that reported fair and good relationships between counts of active burrows and black- and white-tailed prairie dogs C. leucurus, respectively (Biggins et al. 1993). While there is no other correlative information relative to active burrows, Powell et al. (1994) suggested that counts of active burrows alone may not be a reliable indicator of black-tailed prairie dog populations. Menkens et al. (1988) examined relationships between populations determined by mark-recapture and total burrow counts. They reported that white­tailed prairie dog density was not significantly related to burrow density and was not a useful predictor of population density. However, Fagerstone and Biggins (1986) and Menkens et al. (1990) reported high correlation coefficients when comparing visual counts of white-tailed prairie dogs with mark-recapture densities. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among population estimates from mark-recapture techniques with visual counts, active burrow counts, and total burrow counts derived by ground and aerial surveys all within the same experimental design.

scholarly journals Wildlife Refuges Support High Bee Diversity on the Southern Great Plains

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 968-976
Author(s):  
Ezra S Auerbach ◽  
William P Johnson ◽  
Jude R Smith ◽  
Nancy E McIntyre
Keyword(s):  
Great Plains ◽  
Cynomys Ludovicianus ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Southern Great Plains ◽  
Native Prairie ◽  
Bee Diversity ◽  
Bee Community ◽  
Wildlife Refuges ◽  
Bee Communities

Abstract The native prairie of the southern Great Plains has been especially modified by two related forces: conversion of native prairie to agricultural forms of land use and removal of black-tailed prairie dogs (Rodentia: Sciuridae, Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, 1815)) that act as ecosystem engineers via their burrowing and grazing activities. It is unknown how these changes have affected the native bee community. We surveyed the bee communities in relatively intact native prairie at two National Wildlife Refuges in Texas, quantifying bee community structure as a function of the presence/absence of grazing by prairie dogs. Over a 5-mo sampling period in spring-summer 2013, we found high overall bee diversity (180 species, mostly solitary ground-nesters), with differences detected in diversity between Muleshoe and Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuges as well as on and off prairie dog colonies. Although the same three species dominated the bee community at both refuges, most species were represented by relatively few individuals, leading to overall differences in diversity (richness, evenness, and effective number of species) by refuge. Bee diversity differed between sites on and off prairie dog colonies, but in trends that differed by refuge and by index, suggesting that location was more important than prairie dog presence. These results represent a reference fauna against which other regional bee communities in other land-cover types can be compared, but the high spatial heterogeneity we found indicates that detecting effects of landscape change on native bees will be challenging.

scholarly journals The use of Diethystilbestrol as a Temporary Chemosterilant in Black-Tailed Prarie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus)

1982 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 102-105
Author(s):  
Monte Garrett ◽  
William Franklin
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Cynomys Ludovicianus ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Initial Reduction ◽  
Experimental Side ◽  
Surface Expansion ◽  
Low Levels

The following is an abstract of a manuscript submitted to the Journal of Range Management - 25 September 1982. Abstract. The effectiveness of diethylstilbestrol (DES), a synthetic estrogen, as a reproductive inhibitor in black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) was examined in a 4-year study at Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota. In 1979 and 1980, a study colony was monitored to determine age structure, reproductive success of individual animals, and rate of colony expansion. In 1981, the colony was divided into control and experimental areas (Fig. 1). Treatment with DES during the breeding season resulted in complete curtailment of reproduction on the experimental side while reproduction of the control group was similar to that of previous years. Results were identical in 1982 when treatment was reversed (Fig. 2). There were no obvious effects of DES treatment on the subsequent reproductive capability of study animals. In 1981, surface expansion of the study colony was significantly less on the DES-treated side compared with previous years (Fig. 3). Prospects of using DES for managing prairie dog populations are discussed. The authors visualize an integrated approach to prairie dog management; that is, use of rodenticide for initial reduction and irregular DES treatments thereafter to maintain the population at low levels.

scholarly journals Catch the wave: prairie dogs assess neighbours’ awareness using contagious displays

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1777) ◽  
pp. 20132153 ◽  
Author(s):  
James F. Hare ◽  
Kevin L. Campbell ◽  
Robert W. Senkiw
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Social Information ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Cynomys Ludovicianus ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Social Awareness ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Active Probing

The jump–yip display of black-tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) is contagious, spreading through a prairie dog town as ‘the wave’ through a stadium. Because contagious communication in primates serves to assess conspecific social awareness, we investigated whether instigators of jump–yip bouts adjusted their behaviour relative to the response of conspecifics recruited to display bouts. Increased responsiveness of neighbouring town members resulted in bout initiators devoting a significantly greater proportion of time to active foraging. Contagious jump–yips thus function to assess neighbours’ alertness, soliciting social information to assess effective conspecific group size in real time and reveal active probing of conspecific awareness consistent with theory of mind in these group-living rodents.

scholarly journals Social Behavior of Captive Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs (Mammalia, Rodentia) with Changing Numbers of Observers

2011 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. e-25-e-32
Author(s):  
A. Eltorai ◽  
R. Sussman
Keyword(s):  
Social Behavior ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Kin Recognition ◽  
Cynomys Ludovicianus ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Captive Population ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Rich Variety ◽  
The Rich

Social Behavior of Captive Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs (Mammalia, Rodentia) with Changing Numbers of Observers Black-tailed prairie dogs Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, 1815) are diurnal rodents that live in intricate cities. Their social complexity rivals that of some primates, and, in some respects, resembles the behavior of humans. Due to the rich variety of readily-observable, sophisticated behaviors such as coloniality, infanticide, anti-predator behaviors, "kin recognition", cooperation, conflict, and reproductive success, the black-tailed prairie dog is a wonderful model species for the study of behavior. Using a captive population, we were able to quantify the effects of observation on key social behaviors.

scholarly journals Dispersal Activities of the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog in Wind Cave National Park

1979 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 144-147
Author(s):  
Monte Garrett ◽  
William Franklin
Keyword(s):  
Surface Area ◽  
National Park ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Prairie Dog ◽  
The Past ◽  
Resource Managers

In Wind Cave National Park, where prairie dogs are fully protected, their numbers have greatly increased over the past few years. Park managers are concerned over the prairie dog's tenacious ability not only to expand their colonies, but to pioneer and establish new ones. The seemingly unpredlctable expansion of prairie dog towns has long amazed and alarmed resource managers. Since the Park's cessation of management efforts in the mid-1950's, prairie dog colonies have grown from less than 500 acres in surface area, to an estimated 1,600 acres. Within the past few years, at least eight new prairie dog colonies have been established in the park. The tendency of prairie dogs to colonize and inhabit productive grasslands on gently rolling terrain is believed to be reductng the range's capacity to support other herbivores such as elk and bison.

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