The effect of coterie relocation on release-site retention and behavior of Utah prairie dogs

Abstract

Utah prairie dogs (Cynomys parvidens) have been extirpated in 90% of their historical range. Because most populations in Utah occur on private land, this threatened species is continually in conflict with landowners. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has been relocating Utah prairie dogs from private to public land since the 1970s, but relocations have been largely unsuccessful because of high mortality. Utah prairie dogs are highly social animals, but they are usually relocated without regard to their family group, or coterie. We predicted that relocating Utah prairie dogs with other coterie members would improve their survival rate and result in post‐release behavior similar to non‐relocated animals. We chose to investigate release‐site retention as a measure of relocation success because we were unable to separate emigration from mortality. We relocated Utah prairie dogs from the Cedar Ridge Golf Course in Cedar City, Utah to 2 prepared sites near Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah in 2010 and 2011. We relocated prairie dogs as groups of coterie members or in a control group of individuals trapped with no regard to relatedness. Two months after relocation, we set traps to recapture animals to estimate release‐site retention. We quantified activity budgets prior to and following relocation on study animals as well as from a previously established relocated prairie dog population on public land. The best predictor of release‐site retention and recapture rate was the animal's weight at initial capture. Larger animals had high retention but low recapture rates. We found no differences in site retention or behavior between prairie dogs relocated with coteries and controls. Relocated individuals behaved more like prairie dogs on public lands than animals in the urban source population, but behaviors were still different from prairie dogs on public lands. We recommend relocating large, adult Utah prairie dogs rather than juveniles or relocating juveniles later in the trapping season to increase relocation success rate. We also suggest that future research should focus on developing additional release methods to reduce dispersal and increase site retention. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.

Post‐translocation dynamics of black‐tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus): A successful conservation and human–wildlife conflict mitigation tool

“…However, because the previous translocation effort was considered unsuccessful and our selected release site had natural burrows with collapsed or filled‐in openings; we made three modifications to our methodology: adding chambers in augered burrows, utilization of acclimation cages, and maintaining coteries at release burrows. Release site preparation often requires the installation of artificial burrows and nest boxes with the use of heavy equipment (Bly‐Honness et al, 2004 ; Curtis et al, 2014 ; Davidson et al, 2014 ) or the usage of abandoned pre‐existing burrows (Long et al, 2006 , Truett et al, 2001 ). Neither of these options were available to us due to the preclusion of using heavy equipment necessary to install artificial burrows and nest boxes and there were no pre‐existing burrows that were in good condition.…”

“…Prairie dog translocations have been used as a tool for many years, with different methods that include releasing into artificial burrow systems made from corrugated, plastic drainpipe and artificial nest boxes (Bly‐Honness et al, 2004; Curtis et al, 2014; Roe & Roe, 2004), intact natural burrows (Truett et al, 2001), and burrows created with gas‐powered augers (Dullum et al, 2005). The biotic and abiotic factors of previously occupied habitat or suitable novel habitat have been important for release site selection; furthermore, site preparations that consider the behavioral ecology of prairie dogs such as group compositions, mowing vegetation to suitable height and predator deterrents have been principal considerations for recipient sites (Long et al, 2006).…”

“…Coteries are polygynous units that typically contain one breeding male, related females, and their young that maintain a spatially discrete territory (Hoogland, 2006b). Across methods, there has been a wide range of success documented ranging from low survival rates and the failure to establish colonies to the establishment of colonies that have expanded in size and persisted (Curtis et al, 2014; Dullum et al, 2005; Roe & Roe, 2004; Shier & Owings, 2007). Choosing the ideal suite of translocation methods needs to be based on a variety of factors including but not limited to release site condition (e.g., soil type, pre‐existing burrows, etc.…”

Use of visual stimuli increases count estimates for prairie dogs

“…In addition to aiding in visual counts, other common techniques that rely on aboveground counts to evaluate abundance, density, or distribution of prairie dogs can benefit from use of this tool. Management techniques for prairie dogs, including disease management through the use of insecticides or vaccine (Seery et al , Biggins et al , Tripp et al , Rocke et al ), translocations (Robinette et al , Curtis et al ), or even control efforts (Andelt ), that rely on accurate assessment of prairie dog populations can therefore be better informed through the use of a visual stimulus. Small improvements to prairie dog conservation and management as a result of this survey technique may indirectly benefit the host of other sensitive species associated with prairie dog colonies, including black‐footed ferrets, swift fox ( Vulpes velox ), burrowing owls ( Athene cunicularia ), and mountain plovers ( Charadrius montanus ), among others.…”

Characterizing patterns of genomic variation in the threatened Utah prairie dog: Implications for conservation and management

“…Translocations are currently used for prairie dogs, with considerable research focused on improving success (Curtis et al, 2014;Truett et al, 2001;United States Fish & Wildlife Service, 2012).…”