Viewpoint: The black-tailed prairie dog—headed for extinction?

The black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) is 1 of 5 western prairie dog species, and the only species found on the Great Plains. Some authorities believe the black-tailed prairie dog may have been the most numerous of mammalian herbivores found on the plains with some estimates placing their historic numbers as high as 5 billion. Due to a combination of factors including habitat destruction, hunting, plague, and poisoning programs, the black-tailed prairie dog may now be threatened with extinction across its entire range. In this paper, a tentative prairie dog conservation strategy consisting of core reserves, buffer areas, and corridors is proposed.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202