Southern Utah is inhabited by several distinctive species, some of which are endemic to the southwest United States. My co-intern Jake and I have done a lot of work focused on birds – raptors, sage-grouse and common birds found in riparian and sagebrush habitats. We took a break from various bird surveys to help out Cedar City’s Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) with a special rodent species, the Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens).
Utah prairie dogs are endemic to southern Utah, and they are currently categorized as threatened on the endangered species list. Prairie dogs are a keystone species. The extensive burrows they create aerate soils and help moisture penetrate the soil, which is extremely important in this part of the world. Prairie dogs suffered serious persecution after settlers made their way to Utah, prompting federal protection from the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1972.
Utah prairie dogs have made a comeback in southern Utah, however, they have moved into populated areas. That is where the DWR comes in. Cedar City’s golf course and cemetery are full of Utah prairie dogs. And I don’t blame the dogs – there’s plenty of grass and water in these two areas, compared to the drought-stricken rangeland. Prairie dogs can also be found on private lots, digging up back yards and gardens. This does not fly with the general public, and the DWR has stepped up to humanely trap and translocate prairie dogs under the Iron County Habitat Conservation Plan.
Trapping prairie dogs is much harder than it sounds. For one, they are exceptionally smart rodents. They know what’s up after they see one or two individuals get caught. Despite the lure of a thick lump of fresh peanut butter and oats, a lot of prairie dogs stay away from the open traps. Instead, they might reach inside to grab the bait. One of the wildlife technicians I worked with said she witnessed a prairie dog dig underneath a trap to access the peanut butter. Some individuals though, just can’t resist the treat. After four days of trapping on the golf course, we averaged six prairie dogs a day. More would be caught at the cemetery, local baseball fields, and even the small Cedar City airport.
Cedar City’s golf course is full of Utah prairie dogs! This was just a small group.
We assisted in processing the prairie dogs, which included weighing, determining sex, and piercing their ears with little silver ear tags for future identification. The prairie dogs are then transported to one of three recovery areas on federal land. While these areas might not be as green as a golf course, there is grass and water, and the DWR provides extra feed for the dogs that have been recently moved and are still accustomed to food-rich, man-made habitats.
The Awapa Range, a recovery area where we dropped off several prairie dogs. In the background you can make out some Utah prairie dog burrows.
Spending time observing and handling these creatures was a real treat, and hopefully my fellow intern and I will get a chance to help the DWR again in the coming weeks. While Utah prairie dogs are not a popular animal in these parts, it is good to see the public and state and federal groups work together to help this species and land owners. It demonstrates on a small, local scale that conservation and economic growth can coexist.