FAQs About Prairie Dogs and Their Conservation

Are prairie dogs endangered?

Prairie dogs are not federally listed as endangered, but their numbers have collapsed across the West. More than 95% of black-tailed prairie dogs — the most widespread of the five species—have been eliminated by habitat loss, poisoning campaigns, recreational shooting, and sylvatic plague. In 1998, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that the black-tailed prairie dog warranted protection under the Endangered Species Act, but the listing was delayed and never implemented.

Why are prairie dogs considered a keystone species?

Prairie dogs play an ecological role far greater than their size suggests. Their burrows, grazing behavior, soil turnover, and constant vigilance support more than 150 vertebrate species, including burrowing owls, swift foxes, pronghorns, bison, and critically endangered black-footed ferrets. Removing prairie dogs destabilizes entire grassland ecosystems and triggers cascading declines in species that rely on them for food, habitat, and shelter.

Why do some ranchers want to eradicate prairie dogs?

Many ranchers believe prairie dogs compete with cattle for grass or pose hazards like broken legs—claims that research has repeatedly shown to be false. Prairie dogs consume little grass, and their colonies actually enrich the soil, increase plant diversity, and attract herbivores such as bison, deer, and pronghorns. Nevertheless, long-standing myths and pressure to maximize grazing acreage continue to drive eradication efforts.

What makes Rozol so dangerous to wildlife?

Rozol is an anticoagulant rodenticide used to poison prairie dogs. Animals that eat the bait—or prey on poisoned prairie dogs—can suffer prolonged internal hemorrhaging and die over the course of one to three weeks. Raptors, coyotes, swift foxes, badgers, ferrets, raccoons, eagles, and even wild turkeys have been found dead around treated colonies. Federal scientists have warned that Rozol poses significant primary and secondary risks to birds and mammals.

What is “varminting,” and how does it affect prairie dogs?

“Varminting” refers to recreational shooting of prairie dogs with high-powered rifles, often for entertainment rather than management. Shooters may kill hundreds of animals in a day, leaving carcasses in the field where scavengers ingest toxic lead fragments. Varminting also removes the individuals that have survived plague outbreaks — those most likely to pass on resistance  weakening the species’ long-term resilience.

How are prairie dogs connected to black-footed ferrets?

Black-footed ferrets are entirely dependent on prairie dogs. They live in prairie dog burrows and rely on the rodents as their primary food source. When prairie dog numbers plummet, ferret populations collapse. Every successful ferret reintroduction site requires large, healthy, plague-free prairie dog colonies — making prairie dog conservation a prerequisite for ferret recovery.

Do prairie dogs damage cattle rangeland?

Despite widespread belief, research has found no significant competition between prairie dogs and cattle at typical colony densities. In fact, cattle often seek out prairie dog towns because the animals’ digging aerates soil, increases water infiltration, and encourages the growth of nutrient-rich forbs and grasses. Prairie dog towns may look sparse, but the vegetation they support is often more nutritious than surrounding pasture.

Is plague a natural predator of prairie dogs?

The sylvatic plague that devastates prairie dog colonies is not native to North America. It was introduced around 1899, likely by stowaway rats arriving on ships. Because prairie dogs evolved with no immunity, plague can wipe out entire colonies in a matter of weeks. Conservation programs now use vaccines and treatments in some areas to boost survival.

Can prairie dogs and ranching coexist?

Yes. Several ranchers in the West have demonstrated that cattle production and thriving prairie dog colonies are fully compatible—and can even reinforce each other through healthier soils and increased biodiversity. These ranchers often become targets of local hostility, but their lands have hosted some of the most successful black-footed ferret reintroductions in the country.