Many species, like black-footed ferrets, use their burrows as homes. They occur only in Utah, having the smallest range of any prairie dog species. The species is one of three species of white-tailed prairie dogs in the United States. Fish and Wildlife Service provides support to the regional office and field stations to communicate and facilitate information about the Service's programs to the public, media, Congress, Tribes, partners, and other stakeholders in the 8-state region. The best action is when the pups come up. largely from commercial and residential development), and plague.   The Utah prairie dog is distinguished from other The Utah Prairie Dog has been federally listed under the Endangered Species Act since 1973 and is protected as a threatened species. Unpublished report. While national wildlife refuges were created to protect wildlife, they are for people too. The Utah prairie dog is currently listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened. [5], Utah prairie dogs prefer swale land area with abundant herbaceous plants. The Utah prairie dog is the smallest species of prairie dog. Trends are stable to increasing.  Recent population estimates are among the highest recorded since listing.  Specifically, five of the seven highest population counts have occurred since 2005.Â. The Utah Prairie Dog Life among the Red Rocks. This is usually May 15th thru June 20th each year. The Office of Law Enforcement contributes to Service efforts to manage ecosystems, save endangered species, conserve migratory birds, preserve wildlife habitat, restore fisheries, combat invasive species, and promote international wildlife conservation. 1979. There is nothing better than shooting at endless targets and only pausing to let your barrel cool down. The Utah prairie dog shares the role of keystone species with its cousins, the black-tailed prairie dog and Gunnison’s prairie dog.. Utah prairie dogs are food for predators including the kit fox, the golden eagle, and the ferruginous hawk, and their burrows are home to snakes, cottontail rabbits, burrowing owls, beetles, and salamanders, to name a few. Since 1973 it has been a regular feature on the endangered species list, though it was downgraded to ‘threatened’ in 1984 and populations continue to show signs of growth. The existing special rule which we propose to amend was established in 1991. The species is distinguished by its short white-tipped tail and black "eyebrows." The Utah prairie dog is usually 30 to 36 cm in body length and weighs up to 1400 grams. The Utah prairie dog's diet is composed of flowers, seeds, grasses, leaves, and even insects. In 1972, studies estimated a population of 3,300 Utah prairie dogs in 37 colonies.  Our recovery strategy for the Utah prairie dog focuses our attention on habitat loss and fragmentation and disease through a program that encompasses threats abatement, habitat protection, research, and monitoring.  Increasing and securing populations of the Utah prairie dog on public land is still an important component of the revised recovery plan.  However, the revised recovery plan also emphasizes conservation of the species on non-federal lands through programs with willing landowners, such as safe harbor agreements, conservation easements, and conservation banks.  Recovery of the species will be achieved more rapidly if we increase conservation of the species on these lands in a way that simultaneously benefits private landowners and Utah prairie dogs. 94 pp. Photo: Rick Bowmer/Associated Press Face have dark brown cheeks and whitish tone of chins and mouth. The low-effect HCP would authorize incidental take of the federally threatened Utah prairie dog from residential, commercial, and industrial developements in Iron County, Utah. Univ. Description. [13], Pizzimenti JJ, Collier GD (1975) Cynomys parvidens. Distribution Utah prairie dog is endemic to southwestern Utah, ranging from Interstate 70 south to the northern border of Washington County, and from west of Capitol Reef National Park to almost the Nevada border. Most of the take is limited to already developed areas or those areas projected for development in the near future. We completed a Final Revised Recovery Plan for the species in 2012, our first revision of the 1991 recovery plan. Species List, Jump to a section: Utah Prairie Dog (Cynomys parvidens) Photo Credit – Craig Bihrle. Studies by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in spring 2004 reported 4,022 Utah prairie dogs, a number believed to reflect half of the total current population. The Utah prairie dog has a multicolored fur consisting of black, light brown and dark brown shades. Permits | The Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens) is the smallest species of prairie dog, a member of the squirrel family of rodents native to the south central steppes of the US state of Utah. At the time of listing, the species was threatened by habitat destruction and modification, over-exploitation, disease, and predation. Other articles where Utah prairie dog is discussed: prairie dog: …of the Great Basin; the Utah prairie dog (C. parvidens) is restricted to the southern part of that state; and the Mexican prairie dog (C. mexicanus) occurs in northern Mexico. Analysis of the Utah prairie dog recovery program, 1972-1992. The Utah prairie dog is the westernmost of five prairie dog species in the US and is unfortunately the most threatened. As their name suggests, these rodents live primarily in prairie … Emergence of the pups usually occurs from mid to late May. [4] [11], They build extensive "towns" of tunnels and chambers, each town composed of a population of members of an extended prairie dog family group called “clan”, and they forage from dawn to dusk. The recovery strategy for the Utah prairie dog focuses on the need to address colony loss and disease through a program that encompasses threats abatement, population management, research, and monitoring. A "special rule" specifies the protections deemed necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the species. The largest recorded prairie dog town covered some 25,000 square miles. The Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens), found only in southwestern and central Utah, was listed as an endangered species on June 4, 1973 (38 FR 14678). The HCP and our associated permit would authorize the take of prairie dogs and habitat on no more than 220 acres of habitat over a maximum 3-year period. Photo used with permission of Laura Romin. Hoogland, J. L. 2003a. Their primary distinguishing characteristic is their coloration. The bare patches of ground created by their grazing and burrowing attract certain insects that feed a variety of birds. The largest adults reach lengths of about 14 in. Prairie dogs are considered a “keystone” species because their colonies create islands of habitat that benefit approximately 150 other species. We believe the Utah prairie dog is a very recoverable species.  We will need a lot of assistance from partners to implement recovery actions in a manner that leads the species’ to recovery goals.  In this regard, the Utah Prairie Dog Recovery Implementation Program (UPDRIP or “Program”) is a public private partnership to coordinate the recovery of the Utah prairie dog while balancing and accommodating land uses and needs of the human population throughout the species range.  The UPDRIP partnership includes representatives from the USFWS, Utah Department of Natural Resources (UDNR), USFS, BLM, Natural Resources Conservation Service, NPS, UDWR, School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA), Iron County, Garfield County, Wayne County, Piute County, Utah Farm Bureau, Panoramaland Resource Conservation and Development Council, Color Country Resource Conservation and Development Council, local municipalities, and environmental interests. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) requesting that the black-tailed prairie dog (BTPD; Cynomys ludovicianus) be listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. We request public comment on the draft low-effect HCP. 93-16. {Turner, B. On June 1, 2011, we announced a proposal to amend the protective regulations necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the Utah prairie dog. Limited to the southwestern quarter of Utah, the Utah Prairie Dog has the most restricted range of all prairie dog species. Utah Prairie Dog (Cynomys parvidens) Species Status Statement. On March 29, 2017, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling that returned all management authority for Utah prairie dogs to the federal government. The recovery priority number for the Utah prairie dog is 8C (see Table 1).  Recovery priority numbers, which range from a high of 1C to a low of 18, are based on degree of threat, recovery potential, taxonomic distinctiveness, and presence of an actual or imminent conflict between the species and development activities (C represents conflict).  The rank of 8C is based on a moderate degree of threat (e.g., economic development activities and plague), a high degree of controversy regarding the species and its recovery, high recovery potential, and taxonomic standing as a species. A prairie dog peeks out of an artificial burrow after arriving at a remote site in the desert, some 25 miles away from Cedar City, Utah.    Plague outbreaks occur when a colony is overpopulated and there is increased stress on the individuals. [6][7][8] Utah prairie dogs are only found in the southern part of Utah; today they are only found in the central and southwestern part of Utah in Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane, Piute, Sevier, and Wayne Counties. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. These rodents have patches of dark brown colored fur. Collier, G.D. 1975. Background. The total length of an adult Utah prairie dog is approximately 12-14 inches, the weight of an individual ranges from 1 to 3 pounds. On June 20, 2011, the Service completed a revised petition finding for the Utah prairie dog and determined that there was not substantial information to show that reclassifying the species from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act may be warranted.Â. 2003b. It formerly occurred on 448,000 acres in southwest Utah [1]. [2], The total body length of typical adult ranges from 30.5 cm to 36.0 cm with 3 cm to 6 cm of tail. On September 17, 2010, we announced the availability of a draft revised recovery plan for the Utah prairie dog. Its upper body is cinnamon or clay colored with buff-and black-tipped hairs, which are slightly darker on the rump. The Utah Prairie Dog Oversight Group (UPDOG) formerly known as UPDRIP (Utah Prairie Dog Recovery Implementation Program) establishes a multi-agency cooperative effort intended to implement the USFWS Recovery Plan and the State's Utah Prairie Dog Management Plan for Non-federal Lands by coordinating and facilitating the recovery of the Utah prairie dog while balancing and accommodating … Bryce Canyon National Park reintroduced the Utah Prairie Dog to park meadows from 1974 through 1988 and is the only National Park Service unit where they occur. Kansas Publ., Mus. The rare Utah prairie dog is not a dog, but a ground-dwelling rodent from the squirrel family. 53 pp.}. We are also including take exemptions for areas where Utah prairie dogs create serious human safety hazards or disturb the sanctity of significant human cultural or human burial sites. Conservation efforts include encouraging landowners to improve the health of their rangelands, and compensating farmers who set aside areas the prairie dogs may use. Recent Actions: GARFIELD COUNTY HCP The Service received a permit application from the Garfield County Commission (Utah) and are announcing the availability of a Draft Low-effect Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the Utah prairie dog in Garfield County, Utah, for a 30 day public comment period.

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