Black-tailed prairie dogs currently occupy less than one percent (700,000 to 800,000 acres) of their historical habitat. The dramatic decline in Black-tailed prairie dog habitat and numbers is the result of changing land use patterns, habitat fragmentation, disease, shooting, and poisoning (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2000). In February 2000 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ruled that the Black-tailed prairie dog warranted listing as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. However, they failed to list the Black-tailed prairie dog as a threatened species because of an overabundance of other higher priority species. The Black-tailed prairie dog can be considered a keystone species; Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), Mountain plover (Charadrius montana), Kit fox (Vulpes velox), and Ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis) are dependent on them for survival (National Wildlife Federation 2000). Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska is one of only seven National Park Service units within the historic range of the Black-tailed prairie dog that maintains a population.

Monitoring questions and approach

1. How does the abundance of prairie dogs fluctuate over time?

   • Annual censuses to track the abundance and trends of the species through time. Visually count all individuals within the colony for three consecutive mornings.

2. How does the spatial extent of the colony fluctuate over time?

   • Map the clip line and active burrows to track trends in colony size over time. Delineate and record the boundary of the colony using global positioning systems (GPS). Compare maps from successive years within a geographic information system (GIS).

3. Does sylvatic plague influence the Black-tailed prairie dog community at Scotts Bluff National Monument? Introduction of Sylvatic plague into North America from Europe is believed to cause massive to complete die-off. This becomes increasing true as colonies are reduced in size and become more isolated.

   • Monitor the Black-tailed prairie dog population for die-offs, document and report all such events to appropriate officials.

Protocol

• Plumb, G. E., G. D. Willson, K. Kalin, K. Shinn, W.M. Rizzo. 2001. Black-tailed prairie dog monitoring protocol for seven prairie parks. U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, Missouri Field Station, Columbia, MO. 27 p.

  • Download this document (PDF format)

Reports

• Go to the Reports page.

References

• National Wildlife Federation. 2000. Question and answers about the black-tailed prairie dog’s warranted but precluded status. National Wildlife Federation Home Page (http://www.nwf.org/prairiedogs/dog_q&a.html).

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2000. Twelve-month finding for a petition to list the black-tailed prairie dog as threatened. Federal Register 2/4/2000. 65(24): 5476-5488.
  (http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2000_register&docid=00-2593-filed)