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An Investigation of Animal Use of Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Burrows

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An Investigation of Animal Use of Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Burrows UC Agriculture & Natural Resources Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference Title Animal Use of Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Burrows: Preliminary Findings Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6r0766d2 Journal Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference, 22(22) ISSN 0507-6773 Authors Witmer, Gary W. Pipas, Michael Linder, Timothy Publication Date 2006 DOI 10.5070/V422110100 eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Animal Use of Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Burrows: Preliminary Findings GaryWitmer,MichaelPipas, and TimothyLinder USDAAPHISWildlifeServices,NationalWildlifeResearchCenter,FortCollins,Colorado ABSTRACT : Black-tailedprairiedogsareconsideredanimportant“keystone”speciesoftheprairies,ononehand,andanuisance rodentcausingconsiderabledamageontheother.Toeffectivelymanageprairiedogcolonies,abetterunderstandingisneededof theeffectsofmanagementpracticesonprairiedogs,theirburrowsystems,andotherspeciesthatmayusethoseburrowsystems. Forexample,whenfumigantsareusedtocontrolprairiedogpopulations,towhatextentmayotherspeciesbeaffected?Weuseda burrow-probecamerasystemtoobserveanimaluseof777burrowopenings.Theseincludedcoloniesbothinurban/suburbanand naturalprairiesettingsaswellasactiveversusinactivecolonies.Burrowswereusuallyprobedtoadepthofabout2m,requiring only a few minutes each. Relatively few animals were seen and most were invertebrates. More animals were observed in urban/suburbanburrowsystemsversusprairieburrowsystems.Somewhatmoreanimalswereobservedinactiveversusabandoned burrowsystems.Thevertebratesobservedwereprairiedogs,rabbits,groundsquirrels,snakes,amouse,andasalamander.The implicationsandpossibleshort-comingsofthisstudyarediscussed. KEY WORDS : burrow, Cynomysludovicianus ,keystonespecies,prairiedog,rodentecology Proc.22 nd Vertebr.PestConf. (R.M.TimmandJ.M.O’Brien,Eds.) PublishedatUniv.ofCalif.,Davis. 2006. Pp.195-197. INTRODUCTION potentialfortoxicants,especiallyfumigants,toharmnon- Even though black-tailed prairie dog ( Cynomys targetanimalsthatmaybeinthoseburrows,and3)the ludovicianus )numbersandoccupiedrangehavedeclined need to better understand the hosts and transmission dramatically since the arrival of Europeans in North routesofplague. America,theyareconsideredbysomeecologiststobea Most of what we know of the use of prairie dog “keystone” species (Kotliar et al . 2006). A keystone burrows by other animals has come from indirect species’activitiesenhanceconditionsformanyassociated methods:dayandnightdirectobservationofanimalson species and help maintain high levels of biodiversity the surface, observing animal “sign” (tracks, droppings) (Kotliar et al. 2006). Over 100 species of vertebrates on the surface, and trapping animals on colonies (e.g., havebeenobservedonprairiedogcolonies.Somerareor Lomolino and Smith 2003). In one case, black-tailed endangered species occur principally on prairie dog prairiedogburrowswereexcavatedtolearnmoreofthe colonies, including burrowing owls ( Speotyto cunicu- burrow physical structure and dimensions (Sheets et al . laria ), mountain plovers ( Eupoda montana ), and the 1971).Ourobjectivewastouseacamerasysteminserted highlyendangeredblack-footedferret(Mustelanigripes ; withinprairiedogburrowstodirectlyobserveanimalsin Kotliar et al . 2006). In the urban-suburban setting, the those burrows. We included both urban/suburban and occurrence of prairie dog colonies also provides natural prairie dog colonies as well as active versus opportunities for wildlife viewing and environmental inactive colonies. Active colonies had prairie dogs education.Prairiedogsarebeinggivengreaterprotection present, whereas inactive colonies had no prairie dogs by many states and have been considered for federal because they had been removed or had been killed by protection by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plague.Wereportthepreliminaryresultsinthispaper; (Hoogland2006). moredetailedanalysesofourfindingareunderwayand Unfortunately,prairiedogscanalsocomeintoconflict willbepublishedatalaterdate. with humans, especially in the urban-suburban setting, where they cause vegetation and property damage METHODS (Witmer etal .2003),andposeahealththreatattributable Weusedaremote,infra-redcamerasystem(Peep-A- toperiodicplagueoutbreaks(Witmer2004).Effortsto RooVideoProbe,SandpiperTechnologies,Inc.,Manteca, reduceconflictscaninvolvecolonyrelocationormanage- CA)toobserveanimalsinburrowsystems.Thesystem mentsotheprairiedogpopulationandoccupiedareado wasdescribedindetailbyVerCauteren etal .(2002).A notincrease.Optionsincludelethalornon-lethalremoval, 3-mcablewas“snaked”intotheburrowsystem,although constructionofphysicalbarriersaroundthecolony,and roots,rocks,branchingoftheburrow,anddeteriorationof enhancementofnaturalpredation(Witmer etal .2003). the burrow often limited penetration. Direct, real-time To effectively manage prairie dog colonies, a better observationwithintheburrowsystemwasmadepossible understanding is needed of the effects of management by video display goggles worn by the observer. practiceson prairiedogs,theirburrowsystems,andthe Additionally,thesystemwaswiredtoavideorecorderso manyotherspeciesofanimalsthatmayusethoseburrow that pictures could be taken of animals. We obtained systems. It is important that we have a better permissiontouseourcamerasystemtoexaminealarge understanding of animal use of prairie dog colonies number of burrow systems on the USDA Pawnee becauseof1)biodiversityandconservationissues,2)the NationalGrasslands(naturalprairiecolonies)andwithin 195 the boundaries of the City of Fort Collins and Boulder Sheets etal .(1971)excavated18black-tailedprairiedog County(urban/suburbancolonies).Ineachsetting,both burrowsystemsinSouthDakota,duringthecourseofa active and inactive colonies were examined. At each black-footed ferret study. These burrow systems were burrow,werecordedthedate,locationofthecolony,its notparticularlycomplex.Theyusuallyhad2openings, nature (natural prairie or urban/suburban setting), its wereabout12minlength,reachedmaximumdepthsof status(activeorinactive),themaximumdistanceprobed about2-3m,andwereabout10-15cmindiameter.A (m), the time spent probing (seconds), and any animals few enlarged chambers appeared to have been nest observed. Observed animals included both vertebrates chambers. There were a few side tunnels or pockets, andinvertebrates. someofwhichcontainedfoodmaterials.Thefloorofthe burrows commonly contained compacted fecal pellets. RESULTS Chunksofcattlemanurewerefound;oftentheyhadbeen We probed 777 burrows with our camera system. broken apart, perhaps in search of seeds or insects. This total included 460 active burrows: 200 on natural Insects and their remains were commonly found in the prairiecoloniesand260onurban/suburbancolonies.We burrows. Sheets et al . (1971) found little evidence of alsoprobed317inactiveburrows:167onnaturalprairie vertebrates: some bones of prairie dogs and mice were colonies and 150 on urban/suburban colonies. On found, along with some fecal material of black-footed average,wecouldprobetheburrowstoabout2m.Field ferrets.Itwascommontofindsectionsoftheburrowthat crews endeavored to work quickly and quietly so as to hadbeenpluggedbytheprairiedogs. minimize disturbance to animals. Once experienced, Wewerenotabletoexamineasmuchofourburrow field crews required about 1.5 - 2 minutes to probe a systemsasdidSheetsetal .(1971)withtheirtotalburrow burrow. excavations. However, like Sheets et al . (1971), we Animals were observed in 97 (12.5%) of the 777 observed relatively little vertebrate use of the burrow burrows.Animalswereobservedsomewhatmoreoften systems other than by prairie dogs. We observed in active burrows (52) than in inactive burrows (45). relatively large numbers of invertebrates, which is Also, animals were observed somewhat more often in consistentwiththefindingsofSheet etal .(1971).We urban/suburban burrows (57) than in natural prairie also encountered collapsed or plugged portions of burrows(40). burrowsonarelativelyregularbasis. Most of the animals observed (84.5%) were Giventhattheburrowsystemisavaluableresourceto invertebrates:mainlycricketsandbeetles,butalsoafew theprairiedogoccupantsandrequiressubstantialeffortto sow bugs and spiders. Fleas were observed in a few build and maintain, one might question why the occu- burrows, but could not be accurately counted. The pants would share it with other animals. Perhaps the vertebrates observed were prairie dogs (10), rabbits (8), prairiedogsareratherindifferenttotheinvertebratesthat ground squirrels (2), snakes (2), a mouse (1), and a accessthesystem,orperhapsthesetinyanimalsserveas salamander(1).Additionally,basedonodor,oneburrow a possible food source for the prairie dogs. But why was,orhadbeen,occupiedbyaskunk.Intermsoftotal would prairie dogs welcome or tolerate use of their animalnumbers, moreanimalswereobservedinurban/ burrowsystembypotentialcompetitors(e.g.,rabbits)or suburbanburrows(97)versusprairieburrows(58).Also, potential predators (e.g., snakes)? Hansen and Gold somewhat more animals were observed in active (82) (1977)reportedsubstantialoverlapinthedietsofprairie versusabandonedburrows(73). dogsanddesertcottontailrabbits.Bullsnakes( Pituophis Forty-two burrows were collapsed or plugged sayi ) and rattlesnakes prey on prairie dogs (Hoogland (presumablybyprairiedogs)ashortdistanceinside.We 2006). Perhaps the main problem prairie dogs have in encountered substantial vegetation while probing 24 this regard is in fending off competitors or predators. burrows,whichmayhaverepresentedfoodmaterialsor
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