Prairie dog denied endangered status

[montana500]

www.wilderness-sportsman.com (news section)


"WASHINGTON -- Road kill, urban sprawl, decades of poisoning, plague-carrying fleas, gas wells and varmint hunters aren't enough to put Gunnison's prairie dog on the Endangered Species List.

So ruled the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, at least for now.

This week the agency rejected a petition from the environmental group Forest Guardians and 73 other groups and individuals to start the process of listing as endangered the prairie dog species, which ranges over the Four Corners area of New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Utah."

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. They should be hunted for their fur.... but only like

this.... only like this.....

http://www.divsoft.com/pdhpro.html

[lvx35]

2. That's too bad.

I know they can be pests, but I always thought they were cute lil' critters

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. Huh. you've never had them move in on your homestead

and surround your house, have ya?

Never could bring myself to shoot at them though, or put out poison like some did. Didn't seem sporting.

[janx]

8. It isn't sporting; you're right.

They are a pain in the neck for ranchers, but the smart ranchers know that they're an inevitable occupational hazard, nothing more.

[lvx35]

10. hehe

I've not had them surround my homestead, but that brings up some scary images! :)

[janx]

14. Especially given the word "homestead."

Little house surrounded by prairie dogs...

[Viva_La_Revolution]

18. okay, okay. It was a singlewide trailer...

and they didn't quite surround the whole place, cause on the east side there was a coyote path, they tended to avoid that direction.

:P

[Angry Girl]

9. They have a very complex language

Can we talk? Prairie dogs do
The critters have a language all their own, says an Arizona researcher who's studying it, and they can coin new words
http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/110058

Prairie Dog Language?
by Ronald P. Millett and John P. Pratt
Prairie dogs use a sophisticated vocabulary in their warning barks, which again raises the question of whether mankind alone communicates by audible language.
http://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/lds/meridian/2005/prairie_dog.html

[lvx35]

11. Fascinating.

Thanks for those. I'm totally fascinated by animal language. I've heard some amazing tings about grey parrots as well.

[Angry Girl]

12. Oh, yeah, that lady with her grey, I forget his name....

I read an article about them. It was great!

Makes you wonder why all those scientists go through conniptions learning about animal communication with primates and other animals who do not have the same vocalization mechanisms as humans - just get a parrot! DUH! :-)

[Crunchy Frog]

19. His name is Alex.

Here's a link to his website. http://www.alexfoundation.org/index2.htm

[buzzard]

15. It is fascinating I have 2 parrots one speaks very well and at times

it is eerie when it says something in context.

[janx]

13. Yes, they do.

And they can convey information to each other about approaching colors (predators?), at least. (I have not read your links, but I have read information on the subject.)

[FreedomAngel82]

17. Aw how cute!

[FreedomAngel82]

16. Aww!

They're so cute! I remember when I was in junior high my family and I went out west and went to Arizona and went to a little prairie field and they were so cute!!! Aww.

[SPKrazy]

4. Plague Carrying Varmints!

How dare they interfere with Urban Sprawl?


:sarcasm:

[Crunchy Frog]

21. Once, when I was in a temp job, I had to talk a coworker,

who was an immigrant from Poland, out of allowing her young son to try to capture one to keep as a pet. I had to explain to her that they carry the Bubonic plague.

That said, you're very unlikely to get it, even if you work very closely with them, and even if you do, it's completely curable if you start treatment early.

[janx]

5. I wrote a story about them. n/t

[BushOut06]

6. Too bad GOPhers aren't endangered

Although if they were, would we bother trying to save them? ;)

[janx]

7. ho-ho... n/t

[Crunchy Frog]

20. The right wingers in Colorado hate them.

They're practically a RW cause celebre out there. They're sort of like the "welfare queens" of Colorado. RW columnists and LTTE writers go out of their way to talk about how much they hate them, and the joys of blowing their brains out. It's completely sickening.

It will be like pulling teeth to get them any protection, I'm afraid.