The disease is not uncommon in the animals but can be spread to people. The mission of the U.S. The species is distinguished by its short white-tipped tail and black "eyebrows." [10], Utah prairie dog shows polyandry behavior, and lays only one litter per year, which generally consists of 1 to 8 litter size. They are rodents within the squirrel family and include five species--the Utah prairie dog, the white-tailed prairie dog, the black-tailed prairie dog, the Gunnison prairie dog, and the Mexican prairie dog. 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. The fur is multicolor, which consists of black, brown, and dark brown at the tip. Utah prairie dog populations began to decline when control programs were initiated in the 1920s, and by the 1960s the species’ distribution was greatly reduced as a result of poisoning, sylvatic plague (a nonnative disease), drought, and habitat alteration induced by agricultural and grazing activities. We completed a Final Revised Recovery Plan for the species in 2012, our first revision of the 1991 recovery plan. 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. Publication No. A. Chapman, eds.). Black-tailed prairie dog: Cynomys ludovicianus and allies. It formerly occurred on 448,000 acres in southwest Utah [1]. Most of the take is limited to already developed areas or those areas projected for development in the near future. Safe Harbor Agreements | The HCP and our associated permit would authorize the take of no more than 600 acres of occupied Utah prairie dog habitat over a maximum 3-year period. A "special rule" specifies the protections deemed necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the species. Historically, Utah prairie dog colonies were found as far west as Pine and Buckskin Valleys in Beaver and Iron Counties, and may have occurred as far north as Nephi, southeast to Bryce Canyon National Park, east to the foothills of the Aquarius Plateau, and south to the northern borders of Kane and Washington Counties. In 1972, studies estimated a population of 3,300 Utah prairie dogs in 37 colonies. Utah prairie dogs range in color from cinnamon to clay. Most of the take is limited to already developed areas or those areas projected for development in the near future. In the grasslands across the central and western United States, their intricate underground coloniescalled prairie dog townscreate shelter for jackrabbits, toads, and rattlesnakes. Utah prairie dogs are diurnal, burrowing animals. Utah prairie dogs are found in elevations from 5,400-feet on valley floors up to 9,500-feet in mountain habitats. External Affairs staff in the Mountain-Prairie Region of the U.S. [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. Utah Prairie Dog (Cynomys parvidens) Photo Credit – Craig Bihrle. The Utah prairie dog is the smallest species of prairie dog. The current 4(d) rule was established in 1991. They build burrows on soils with adequate drain ability, and depth to protect themselves from predators and other environmental factors such as temperature. The largest recorded prairie dog town covered some 25,000 square miles. The Mountain-Prairie Region consists of 8 states in the heart of the American west including Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. No. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with Breeding usually takes place in March and young are born in April after a 30 day gestation period. From 1985 through 2009, the total estimated range-wide population (including juveniles) ranged from 23,752 to 54,195 animals, with an average population of 34,279. This burrowing member of the squirrel family occurs only in arid grasslands in southwestern Utah (Fig.l). At the time of listing, the species was threatened by habitat destruction and modification, over-exploitation, disease, and predation. The rare Utah prairie dog is not a dog, but a ground-dwelling rodent from the squirrel family. "The Utah prairie dog: Abundance, distribution, and habitat requirements". 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. This revised plan also served as the basis for the species' 5-year review. This member of the squirrel family is native to the central steppes of Utah, in the United States. 75-10. A prairie dog town is a busy place. 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. Utah – This species is the smallest of the five.   The Service received a permit application from the Iron County Commission (Utah) and are announcing the availability of a Draft Low-effect Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) for the Utah prairie dog in Iron County, Utah, for a 30 day public comment period. However, the large drop in population of all of the species is of great concern to many scientists. Limited to the southwestern quarter of Utah, the Utah Prairie Dog has the most restricted range of all prairie dog species. An Important Species Plague outbreaks occur when a colony is overpopulated and there is increased stress on the individuals. Conservation efforts include encouraging landowners to improve the health of their rangelands, and compensating farmers who set aside areas the prairie dogs may use. Credit: © Laura Romin and Larry Dalton. On August 1, 2012, we notified the public of our final revisions to a 4(d) rule designating protective regulations necessary and advisable to provide for the conservation of the Utah prairie dog. The low-effect habitat conservation plan (HCP) would authorize incidental take of the federally threatened Utah prairie dog from translocations and residential, commercial, and industrial developments from the vicinity of the town of Panguitch, Utah. J Mammal 84:1254–1266. On September 17, 2010, we announced the availability of a draft revised recovery plan for the Utah prairie dog. That Texas town was home to perhaps four hundred million prairie dogs. The Utah and the Mexican prairie dog are officially classified as endangered species. [8] However, it was recorded that Utah prairie dogs existed as far north as Nephi, and south to Bryce Canyon National Park, and Aquarius Plateau to the east in 1920, but the number declined from the 1920s to 1970s by 87%, and this was thought due to human settlers who caused overgrazing of soil, thus catalyzed the invasion of shrub to the grass land. A keystone species. The Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens) is one of three species of white-tailed prairie dogs in the United States and is the western-most member of the genus Cynomys. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. 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. Their primary distinguishing characteristic is their coloration. Add a photo to this gallery 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. Prepared for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Fish and Wildlife Service had inflexibly forbidden the “take” of any Utah prairie dog—an exceedingly broad prohibition that even forbade moving prairie dogs from backyards, playgrounds, and the airport to public conservation lands. On April 25, 2012, we also reopened the comment period on our proposal to revise the species special 4(d) rule. Prairie dog Hunting, Utah, Spanish Fork, Utah. Hoogland, J. L. 2013. 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. In 1952, Durant noted that Utah prairie dogs have larger in every aspect of skull than that of Gunnison's prairie dog. Utah prairie dogs range in color from cinnamon to clay, with dark markings above the eyes and white on the tip of the tail. 94 pp. Individuals are typically 12 to 14 inches (in) long (Hollister 1916) and weigh 1.4 to 3.1 pounds (Wright-Smith 1978). 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. [2] We offer 30,000+ acres of prime prairie dog shooting. 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. The exact magnitude of this decline is not known. Collier, G.D. 1975. Providing leadership in the conservation of migratory bird habitat through partnerships, grants, and outreach for present and future generations. The largest adults reach lengths of about 14 in. [2], Utah prairie dogs are mainly herbivores, but they sometimes choose small insects also, such as cicadas. An evaluation of the Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens). Most other established provisions of the existing special rule not relating to these amendments remain unchanged. 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. There is nothing better than shooting at endless targets and only pausing to let your barrel cool down. Utah prairie dogs are only found in southwestern Utah and are listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. 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