Author(s): David M. Wagner, Ph.D. and Joseph Busch, Ph.D.
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Introduction: Prairie dogs are keystone species that increase the biological diversity of grassland communities. Unfortunately, all five prairie dog species have experienced large reductions in the past 100 years from poisoning campaigns, habitat loss due to human development, and outbreaks of plague, which is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Plague is one of the most significant problems for prairie dogs because outbreaks can often result in>99% mortality within affected colonies. Importantly, continued plague outbreaks also prevent the formation of large prairie dog complexes that were common prior to European settlement and the introduction of plague in North America and it is these large, stable complexes that are critical for black-footed ferrets, an endangered predator that is dependent of prairie dogs as a food source. Oral plague vaccinations and flea control measures show promise for controlling plague outbreaks in prairie dog colonies. However, these measures are expensive and must be reapplied every year, making them unrealistic for large-scale and long-term application.
