Two prairie dogs in a field
Living with Wildlife
Living with Prairie Dogs
Prairie dogs are burrowing ground squirrels and are considered a keystone species because they provide shelter and food for numerous other species. Prairie dog communities are valuable parts of local landscapes. They offer wildlife viewing and educational opportunities for people. Prairie dogs also create habitat for burrowing owls and mountain plovers and serve as prey for hawks, eagles and black-footed ferrets.
Prairie dog populations are generally stable in Colorado, but abundance has been reduced from historic levels. The biggest threat to prairie dog populations is plague, caused by the introduced bacteria Yersinia pestis. Habitat loss primarily due to development and changes in land use are also threats to their populations.
Tips for Living with Prairie Dogs
Plague
Plague is a bacterial disease that impacts squirrels, prairie dogs and other small mammals. While rare, it can also infect humans and domestic animals.
Plague is the name of the disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. Infection can be fatal in prairie dogs, ground squirrels and other small mammals. Infection is usually transmitted through bites from infected fleas. Wild animals and pets can become infected by eating infected carcasses. Many mammals (animals that have fur and produce milk) can be infected through flea bites.
In cats, infections often cause swelling of the lymph nodes which usually appear as lumps called “buboes.” Direct transmission from cats to humans is possible.
Dogs are typically resistant to the disease, but can be infected. Dogs rarely transmit the disease to humans. Hunters and trappers may be infected when skinning carcasses, handling tissues or consuming flesh from an infected animal. Most human cases result from flea bites.
Public Health Considerations
Plague can infect humans and domestic animals. Infections can be fatal if not detected and treated promptly.
To prevent infection:
- Avoid fleas by wearing long clothing and insect repellents.
- Use flea preventatives for your pets.
- Do not allow pets to roam freely or consume wildlife carcasses.
- Do not handle sick or dead wildlife.
- When hunting, do not skin or consume animals that you find sick or dead.
- When field dressing carcasses, protect yourself from contact with tissues, fluids and fleas.
- Contact your physician immediately if you feel ill with flu-like symptoms following contact with wild mammals or fleas.
Contact your physician immediately if you feel ill with flu-like symptoms following contact with wild mammals or fleas. The first confirmed human case of plague in Colorado occurred in 1940. Today, plague in humans is rare, with an average of seven cases annually in the U.S. Antibiotics are effective for treatment of plague if administered in the early stages of the disease.
Crossing Paths with a Sick or Injured Prairie Dog
If a prairie dog appears sick, don't approach it or try to move it. Contact a local animal control officer or pest control company to remove sick prairie dogs.
While there is a small risk that prairie dogs and their fleas may transmit plague to humans and pets. However, these fleas generally prefer prairie dogs as hosts. To learn more about plague:
Protecting Pets from Plague
Use flea preventatives for your pets. If you are recreating near prairie dog colonies, do not allow pets to roam freely or consume wildlife carcasses. Keep cats and dogs indoors in areas near prairie dog colonies. Contact your veterinarian with concerns about your pets.
What to do if You or Your Pet is Bitten or Scratched?
Notify your veterinarian if:
- Your pet has been bitten by a prairie dog or their fleas
- Your pet is acting lethargic and/or you notice swollen lumps on your pet’s neck, particularly following known or suspected interaction with prairie dogs or their fleas
- Symptoms can appear up to 14 days after the last contact with prairie dogs.
Notify your doctor if:
- You have been bitten by a prairie dog or their fleas
- You experience the onset of a fever and/or flu-like symptoms after having been bitten by prairie dogs or their fleas.
- Symptoms can appear up to 14 days after the last contact with prairie dogs
Living with Prairie Dogs
Trapping, Relocating or Lethally Removing Prairie Dogs
Prairie dogs are classified and managed by CPW through Title 33 in the Colorado Revised Statutes and the Parks and Wildlife Commission Regulations, and by the Colorado Department of Agriculture under Title 35 C.R.S. Landowners (or an agent of the landowner) may hunt, trap or lethally remove prairie dogs when they are causing damage to crops or real or personal property or livestock.
In Colorado, it is unlawful to capture, transport and relocate prairie dogs without a permit from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife does not directly provide relocation services, but does issue required relocation permits. Most relocation efforts are coordinated by local governments or private/nonprofit groups. In these efforts, the actual capture, transport and relocation are usually handled by contract with a private company or a qualified individual. All live traps (limited to cage or box traps) placed on public lands must be labeled permanently with the trapper’s name. For more information related to obtaining a relocation permit, please reach out to your local CPW office to speak to a district wildlife manager.
A permit is also required to capture, transport and deliver prairie dogs to 1) facilities that support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) national black-footed ferret recovery program or 2) licensed raptor rehabilitation programs. Please contact your local CPW office and speak to a district wildlife manager to learn more.
Dead Prairie Dog Donation
You do not need to transport dead prairie dogs to a wildlife rehabilitator for donation. You must, however, submit a donation form to CPW within five business days after the donation.
In some instances, CPW may grant a permit for relocating prairie dogs. For more information, please reach out to your local Colorado Parks and Wildlife office to speak to a district wildlife manager.
A permit is also required to capture, transport and deliver prairie dogs to 1) facilities that support the national black-footed ferret recovery program or 2) licensed raptor rehabilitation programs. Please contact your local Colorado Parks and Wildlife office or district wildlife manager to learn more.
You must take hunter education and obtain a current small game license to hunt prairie dogs recreationally. The season for prairie dogs on public lands is from June 15 to the end of February the following year. The season for private lands is year-round.
In addition, prairie dogs can be legally exterminated by a landowner, as they are labeled a nuisance species in the state. This means that a landowner may lethally remove them from their property at any time without a license. That landowner can also request help in exterminating them on the property; anyone assisting the landowner is considered an agent of the landowner and can legally shoot prairie dogs with or without a small game license.