Utah prairie dog
Utah prairie dog | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Sciuridae |
Genus: | Cynomys |
Species: | C. parvidens
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Binomial name | |
Cynomys parvidens J. A. Allen, 1905
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Utah prairie dog range in 1920 (ochre), 1970 (yellow) and 1991 (red) |
The Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens) is the smallest
.The species is listed in the
Description
Appearance
The fur of Utah prairie dogs is multicolored, which consists of black, brown, and dark brown at the tip. Their faces have dark brown cheeks and whitish tone around their chins and mouth.
Body size
The total body length of typical adult Utah prairie dogs ranges from 30.5 to 36 cm (12.0 to 14.2 in) with 3 to 6 cm (1.2 to 2.4 in) of tail.[3] Adult prairie dogs weigh about 0.77 to 1.41 kg (1.7 to 3.1 lb) in males, and 0.64 to 1.13 kg (1.4 to 2.5 lb) in females.[6] Utah prairie dogs exhibit sexual dimorphism; males are 27% bigger than females, although the ratio varies by season.[7] Their body weights can span from 0.3 to 0.9 kg (0.66 to 1.98 lb) in the spring, and 0.5 to 1.5 kg (1.1 to 3.3 lb) in the summer for males.[5] In 1952, Durant noted that the Utah prairie dog has a skull larger than that of the Gunnison's prairie dog.[8]
Ecology
Range
Utah prairie dogs are only found in the southern part of Utah. They have the most constrained range when compared to the other four species of prairie dogs in the United States (Gunnison's prairie dog, Mexican prairie dog, the white-tailed prairie dog, and the black-tailed prairie dog) - none of which overlap geographic territories.[9] Today the Utah prairie dog is only found in the central and southwestern part of Utah in Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane, Piute, Sevier, and Wayne Counties.[10] However, it was recorded that Utah prairie dogs existed as far north as Nephi, as far south as the pine fir forests of Bryce Canyon National Park, and Aquarius Plateau to the east in 1920, but the number declined from the 1920s to 1970s by 87%. This reduction was thought to be a result of human settlers who caused overgrazing of soil, and thus catalyzed the invasion of shrub to the grass land.[3]
Habitat
Utah prairie dogs prefer
Diet
Utah prairie dogs are mainly
Reproduction
Utah prairie dogs show
Behavior
They build extensive "towns" of tunnels and chambers. Each town's population is the members of an extended prairie dog family group called a "clan", which comprises an adult male, a few adult females, and their juveniles, who work to maintain boundaries of geographic territories.[14] They forage from dawn to dusk.[15] Prairie dogs are particularly social animals and demonstrate communal behavior.[18] They hibernate during the harshest months of the winter for about four to six months and emerge by late February or early March, and occasionally during mild conditions. Adult male prairie dogs begin hibernation around August or September and their female counterparts do the same a few weeks afterwards. Younger generations go into hibernation one to two months later, towards the end of November.[14]
Predators
The primary predators of Utah prairie dogs include badgers (Taxidea taxis), many species of raptors (Aquila chrysaetos, Buteo spp.), coyotes (Canis latrans), snakes (Pituophus spp., Crotalus spp.), and long-tailed weasels (Mustela frenata). However, predators do not pose a significant threat to the numbers of prairie dogs in well-established colonies.[14]
Ecological impact
Utah prairie dogs act as a
Conservation
Conservation status
The species appears in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with a status of Endangered, last assessed on July 11, 2016.[1]
The Utah prairie dog is listed as a
Conservation efforts
References
- ^ . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
- ^ a b c Pizzimenti JJ, Collier GD (1975) Cynomys parvidens. Mamm Spec 52:1–3
- ^ a b Hafner, D.J.; Yensen, E.; Kirkland, G.L. Jr. (1998). Status survey and conservation action plan - North American Rodents (PDF). IUCN/SSC Rodent Specialist Group.
- ^ a b c d e "ECOS: Species Profile". ecos.fws.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
- ^ Wright-Smith, M.A. (1978). The ecology and social organization of Cynomys parvidens (Utah prairie dog) in south central Utah (M.A. Thesis). Bloomington: Indiana University. p. 44.
- S2CID 85571007.
- ^ Durrant, S. D. 1952. Mammals of Utah. Univ. Kansas Publ., Mus. Nat. Hist., 6:1-549.
- ^ "ECOS: Species Profile". ecos.fws.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
- ^ a b McDonald, K.P. 1993. Analysis of the Utah prairie dog recovery program, 1972-1992. Publication No. 93-16. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Cedar City, UT. 81 pp.
- ^ Collier, G.D. 1975. "The Utah prairie dog: Abundance, distribution, and habitat requirements". Pub. No. 75-10. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Salt Lake City, UT. 94 pp.
- ^ {Turner, B. 1979. An evaluation of the Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens). Unpublished report. Prepared for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. 53 pp.}
- ^ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2009. Utah Prairie Dog (Cynomys parvidens) Draft Revised Recovery Plan. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, CO. i + 122 pp. https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/100917.pdf
- ^ a b c d e Gould, Rowan W. "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revising the Special Rule for the Utah Prairie Dog" April 15, 2011.https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2011-06-02/pdf/2011-13684.pdf#page=1
- ^ a b Hoogland, J. L. (2003). "Black-tailed prairie dog: Cynomys ludovicianus and allies". In G. A. Feldhamer; B. C. Thompson; and J. A. Chapman (eds.). Wild mammals of North America. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 232–247.
- ^ S2CID 85812072.
- ^ S2CID 40395704.
- ^ a b "Utah Prairie Dog". www.nps.gov. Bryce Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service). Retrieved 2022-09-22.
- ^ "Protecting Utah prairie dog habitat | Endangered Species Mitigation Fund". wildlife.utah.gov. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
- ^ "Plan to Protect Utah Prairie Dogs | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service". FWS.gov. 2021-09-23. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
- ^ Gould, Rowan W. "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised 90-Day Finding on a Petition To Reclassify the Utah Prairie Dog From Threatened to Endangered" June 7, 2011. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2011-06-21/pdf/2011-15283.pdf#page=1
- ^ Morrison, Hugh. "Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Revised Recovery Plan for Utah Prairie Dog" August 18, 2010. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2010-09-17/pdf/2010-23234.pdf#page=1
- ^ "Utah prairie dog". Mountain-Prairie Region Species Website. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on 26 September 2006. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^ a b "Economic Incentives Can Save The Threatened Utah Prairie Dog". Environmental Defense Fund.
- ^ Slack, James J. "Restoration of Habitat for Utah Prairie Dogs on Private Land in Utah" August 8, 2007. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2007-09-06/pdf/E7-17590.pdf#page=1
- ^ "Report Results". ecos.fws.gov. Retrieved 2022-11-30.
Further reading
- Manno, Theodore G. The Utah Prairie Dog: Life among the Red Rocks. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2014. ISBN 978-1-60781-366-8