The Utah Prairie Dog or the Cynomys parvidens is among the many endangered,
Once numbering almost 100,000, this species on Earth is turning into a stranger.
To start this poem off, I’ll start with the species’ history,
In 1973 they were classified as endangered but the reason is no mystery.
Utah prairie dog populations began to decline in the 1920s to make room for those in the west,
By the 1960s there were about 3,300 showing how killing them became a widespread quest.
In 1984 they were down listed as threatened, showing that they were thriving,
Consequently they have the smallest range of any prairie dog species, which is a testament of
How susceptible they are to dying.
This Prairie Dog is a cinnamon-clay color with a short, white-tipped tail,
They reach one-foot tall and live in large colonies consisting of several adult girls led by one male.
They take turns on lookouts for danger and usually hibernate 4-6 months out of the year,
They also spend their time foraging or watching out for predators, and most die after 8 years.
For those of you searching to protect this creature and make your environmental mark,
You can find them in the southwest of Utah, particularly in the Awapa Plateau and Bryce Canyon National Park.
Now it is time for the sad part: why they are wanted out,
You can blame the civilian, farmers, and ranchers,
But please don’t start to pout.
Because of their destructive network of burrows, they’re often viewed as pests,
Sadly, in the 20th century 98% were gone and the species was put to the test.
With a combination of urban expansion, disease, habitat loss, and fragmentation,
It is evident how these animals were almost wiped out of the nation.
Now there is always the silver lining to every situation,
There is now a recovery plan finalized in 1991 to help foster the growth of their population.
The main effort in this program was originally trans-location from private to public lands,
But in 2012 they revised it to protect the habitats and many conducted research on the harmful bacteria
That may have many different strands.
In addition to these efforts there are other methods used,
Researchers conduct surveys that monitor population loss cues.
Even with all of these combined; the species is still in jeopardy,
The population remains low, so please help save them, I beg thee.
Today there are approximately 8,000 roaming about,
Although viewed as a rodent, they are a keystone species no doubt!
They hold a special place in the environment being an important part of many predators’ diets,
In addition, a vacant burrow serves as a nesting area, and if they could some species would even
Buy it.
So you see, protecting the Utah Prairie Dog is imperative for sure,
Not to mention how cute and adorable they are…now that is my final lure.