Dear EarthTalk: Are prairie dogs threatened or endangered these days?
-- Joseph P., via email
kAm!C2:C:6 5@8D A=2J 2 <6J C@=6 :? 8C2DD=2?5 64@DJDE6>D 3FE 6?4@F?E6C >2?J E9C62ED]Â k^Am
kAmpD <6JDE@?6 DA64:6D � E9@D6 H9@D6 AC6D6?46 :D 4C:E:42= 7@C E96 32=2?46 2?5 962=E9 @7 E96:C 64@DJDE6>D � E96J DFAA@CE >@C6 E92? `b_ @E96C DA64:6D DF49 2D 3FCC@H:?8 @H=D 2?5 3=24<\7@@E65 76CC6ED]k^Am
kAmw23:E2E =@DD :D @?6 @7 E96 >@DE ?@E6H@CE9J E9C62ED] &C32? 56G6=@A>6?E[ 28C:4F=EFC6 2?5 =2?5 4@?G6CD:@? 92G6 5C2>2E:42==J C65F465 923:E2ED] %9:D =62G6D 7C28>6?E65 2C62D E92E >2<6 :E 92C5 7@C A@AF=2E:@?D E@ E9C:G6] r=:>2E6 492?86 7FCE96C 4@>A@F?5D E9:?8 3J 2=E6C:?8 8C2DD=2?5 64@DJDE6>Di #:D:?8 E6>A6C2EFC6D 2?5 AC@=@?865 5C@F89ED C65F46 7@@5 2?5 H2E6C 2G2:=23:=:EJ[ 7FCE96C :>A24E:?8 AC2:C:6 5@8D 2?5 E96 DA64:6D E92E 56A6?5 @? E96>]k^Am
kAm“tG6CJE9:?8 E92E H2D :? E96 D@FE96C? A2CE @7 E96:C C2?86 :D <:?5 @7 =@AA65 @77[ 2?5 J@F’C6 C62==J D66:?8 2=>@DE r@=@C25@ 364@>6 E96 46?EC2= 4@C6 A2CE @7 E96:C C2?86 2?5 E96? D9:7E:?8 ?@CE9[� D2JD $E6C=:?8 zC2?<[ !C2:C:6 s@8 r@2=:E:@? 5:C64E@C 2E %96 wF>2?6 $@4:6EJ @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C 492==6?86 :D DJ=G2E:4 A=28F6[ 2 5:D62D6 EC2?D>:EE65 3J 7=62D E92E 92D H:A65 @FE =2C86 4@=@?:6D] p=D@[ AC2:C:6 5@8D 2C6 G:6H65 2D A6DED 3J 72C>6CD 2?5 C2?496CD] %9:D =625D E@ A@:D@?:?8 2?5 @E96C 6C25:42E:@? 677@CED] �!C2:C:6 5@8D[ @?46 @?6 @7 E96 >@DE 23F?52?E 2?:>2=D @? E96 AC2:C:6[ ?@H @44FAJ aT @7 E96:C 9:DE@C:4 C2?86[� C6A@CED r9C:DE:?6 !6E6CD@? :? w:89 r@F?ECJ }6HD]k^Am
kAm!C2:C:6 5@8D 2C6?VE 7656C2==J C64@8?:K65 2D 6?52?86C65] qFE 24E:G:DED 2C6 H@C<:?8 E@ 4@?D6CG6 E96>[ =2F?49:?8 2 H:56 C2?86 @7 :?:E:2E:G6D :?4=F5:?8 923:E2E C6DE@C2E:@?[ G244:?2E:@? 677@CED 282:?DE E96 A=28F6 2?5 AF3=:4 2H2C6?6DD AC@8C2>D] %96D6 :?:E:2E:G6D 92G6 3C@F89E 249:6G6>6?ED]k^Am
kAmqFE 5:77:4F=E:6D C6>2:?]k^Am
kAmp?J3@5J 42? 96=A D2768F2C5 AC2:C:6 5@8D 2?5 E96:C 923:E2E] $FAA@CE:?8 8C@FAD DF49 2D s676?56CD @7 (:=5=:76 2?5 E96 !C2:C:6 s@8 r@2=:E:@? 2:5D :? 7:?2?4:?8 923:E2E C6DE@C2E:@? 2?5 5:D62D6 AC6G6?E:@? :?:E:2E:G6D] !C@>@E:?8 DFDE2:?23=6 >6E9@5D E92E AC@E64E 8C2DD=2?5D 2?5 C65F46 9F>2?\H:=5=:76 4@?7=:4ED :D 2?@E96C H2J E@ 96=A] #2:D:?8 2H2C6?6DD 23@FE E96 64@=@8:42= :>A@CE2?46 @7 AC2:C:6 5@8D 2?5 E2<:?8 A2CE :? 4:E:K6? D4:6?46 :?:E:2E:G6D E@ EC24< E96:C A@AF=2E:@?D 2C6 255:E:@?2= >6E9@5D E@ 96=A :? E96:C 4@?D6CG2E:@?]k^Am
kAm!C2:C:6 5@8D >2J ?@E 9@=5 6?52?86C65 DE2EFD 2E E96 >@>6?E[ 3FE E96:C 564C62D:?8 A@AF=2E:@?D 2?5 E96 52?86CD E96J 6?4@F?E6C 9:89=:89E E96 ?646DD:EJ 7@C :?E6CG6?E:@?] pDD:DE:?8 4@?D6CG2E:@? 677@CED 2?5 25@AE:?8 DFDE2:?23=6 >6E9@5D :D @?6 2AAC@249 E@ 96=A 8F2C2?E66 E96 DFCG:G2= @7 E96D6 DA64:6D 2?5 FA9@=5 E96 32=2?46 @7 }@CE9 p>6C:42VD 8C2DD=2?5 64@DJDE6>D]k^Am
