Black-footed ferrets and recreational shooting influence the attributes of black-tailed prairie dog burrows
Western North American Naturalist
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Abstract
Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) plug burrows occupied by black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes), and they also plug burrows to entomb dead prairie dogs. We further evaluated these phenomena by sampling connectivity and plugging of burrow openings on prairie dog colonies occupied by ferrets, colonies where recreational shooting was allowed, and colonies with neither shooting nor ferrets. We counted burrow openings on line surveys and within plots, classified surface plugging, and used an air blower to examine subsurface connectivity. Colonies with ferrets had lower densities of openings, fewer connected openings (suggesting increased subsurface plugging), and more surface plugs compared to colonies with no known ferrets. Colonies with recreational shooting had the lowest densities of burrow openings, and line-survey data suggested colonies with shooting had intermediate rates of surface plugging. The extent of surface and subsurface plugging could have consequences for the prairie dog community by changing air circulation and escape routes of burrow systems and by altering energetic relationships. Burrow plugging might reduce prairie dogs' risk of predation by ferrets while increasing risk of predation by American badgers (Taxidea taxus); however, the complexity of the trade-off is increased if plugging increases the risk of predation on ferrets by badgers. Prairie dogs expend more energy plugging and digging when ferrets or shooting are present, and ferrets increase their energy expenditures when they dig to remove those plugs. Microclimatic differences in plugged burrow systems may play a role in flea ecology and persistence of the flea-borne bacterium that causes plague (Yersinia pestis).
Suggested Citation
Biggins, D.E., Ramakrishnan, S., Goldberg, A.R., and Eads, D., 2012, Black-footed ferrets and recreational shooting influence the attributes of black-tailed prairie dog burrows: Western North American Naturalist, v. 72, no. 2, p. 158-171, https://doi.org/10.3398/064.072.0205.
ISSN: 1944-8341 (online)
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Black-footed ferrets and recreational shooting influence the attributes of black-tailed prairie dog burrows |
| Series title | Western North American Naturalist |
| DOI | 10.3398/064.072.0205 |
| Volume | 72 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Year Published | 2012 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Brigham Young University |
| Publisher location | Provo, UT |
| Contributing office(s) | Fort Collins Science Center |
| Description | 14 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Article |
| Larger Work Subtype | Journal Article |
| Larger Work Title | Western North American Naturalist |
| First page | 158 |
| Last page | 171 |