A most endearing bundle of fur

no match for the magnificence of the Grizzly, the  burly  bison, the mighty moose, the noble elk.  Yet hands down the adorable Prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) seems to win the hearts of most visitors to Colorado.
Perhaps few animals are so indicative of the short grass steppe that stretches along the the base of the Rockies east towards the Missouri River and the more humid tall grass prairie of the Corn belt.  Despised by Ranchers, the burrows can cause livestock and horses to break their legs.   It  can also carry the bubonic plague via fleas and most years there are a few cases treated in the American West mainly dogs and  on rare occasionally humans.  Before European settlement of the Great Plains (Short grass steppe) early visitors reported colonies of Prairie dogs that stretched for days, today they are not endangered or even of concern but surely a mere shadow of their former colonies. Largely gone with the large colonies are the black foot ferrets which depended on massive prairie dog towns for food and homes, a breeding program in captivity has kept the ferret from disappearing entirely


Unlike many rodents it does not really hibernate in winter and like most Coloradoans can be found soaking up some rays on a sunny winter's day as this small colony was along a busy Denver street.


Perhaps Westerns should adopt the Prairie dog as an emblem in the fight for conservation of ever disappearing natural areas in an area that made such an impression 150 + years ago it gave birth to the concept of National Parks.   Otherwise it to may go the way of the Grizzly and Bison.... largely confined to remote National Parks or large ranches.