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A plague (Yersinia pestis) epizootic spread through Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni), and possibly other rodent species, in the Moreno Valley in north-central New Mexico between winter 1984-1985 and autumn 1987. We observed the progress of the epizootic and subsequent population recovery at four prairie dog towns within the valley during this period. At two towns (Midlake and Val Verde) the prairie dogs were marked prior to the epizootic. At two additional towns (Vega and South Entrance) prairie dogs were marked following the epizootic. In 1988, a second epizootic occurred at Vega. One hundred thirty-nine serum samples were collected from prairie dogs and other rodents and 1,750 fleas were collected from...
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I measured rates of growth of individual Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni) at three towns in the Moreno Valley, New Mexico; at an established prairie dog town (site I) prior to a plague (Yersinia pestis) epizootic and at two towns reestablished after the epizootic (sites 2 and 3). Populations declined by >99% during rile epizootic. After the epizootic, adults had greater mass, and juveniles grew faster than before. At sites 2 and 3, juveniles had high interyear survival (39%), whereas at site I, prior to plague, survival of juveniles was 17%. At sites 2 and 3, yearlings bred, whereas they did not al site 1. Mean litter size near the end of lactation was 1.5 at site 1 and 5.0 at sites 2 and 3. Application...
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Of the 3 major factors (habitat loss, poisoning, and disease) that limit abundance of prairie dogs today, sylvatic plague caused by Yersinia pestis is the I factor that is beyond human control. Plague epizootics frequently kill > 99% of prairie dogs in infected colonies. Although epizootics of sylvatic plague occur throughout most of the range of prairie dogs in the United States and are well described, long-term maintenance of plague in enzootic rodent species is not well documented or understood. We review dynamics of plague in white-tailed (Cynomys leucurus), Gunnison's (C gunnisoni), and black-tailed (C ludovicianus) prairie dogs, and their rodent and flea associates. We use epidemiologic concepts to support...
Categories: Publication;
Types: Citation,
Journal Citation;
Tags: American Society of Mammalogists,
C. leucurus,
C. ludovicianus,
Cynomys gunnisoni,
Journal of Mammalogy, All tags...
Yersinia pestis,
disease,
epizootic,
landscape,
metapopulation,
plague, Fewer tags
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Raptors were counted at approximately 2-week intervals between March and November 1985-1987 in the Moreno Valley, Colfax Co., New Mexico. During that period, an epizootic of plague (Yersinia pestis) swept through the valley and sequentially killed Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni) in three areas of approximately 25 km2 each. Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) numbers did not change significantly over the study period. Although golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) declined in abundance, their numbers did not recover with the recovery of prairie dogs in 1987. Ferruginous hawks (B. regalis) were abundant during autumn migration where prairie dogs were abundant, but their numbers declined significantly with...
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