Black-Tailed Prairie Dog! (Cynomys ludovicianus) The loss of open prairie has dramatically reduced the prairie dog population. Since the arrival of European settlers, North America's prairie dog population has plummeted by 98 percent. Prairie dogs have been exterminated because of the perceived competition with grazing cattle and bison for grasses. New studies indicate that prairie dogs do not drastically affect the amount of vegetation available for cattle. Prairie dogs are also struggling against an inadvertently introduced disease called the sylvatic plague. This infection is caused by a bacterium transmitted by fleas. People concerned about the black-tailed prairie dog's survival are pushing to have the species listed as threatened on the U.S. Endangered Species List. The Mexican prairie dog (Cynomys mexicanus) has already been listed. [Above two paragraphs abstracted from: BIG] http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/NorthAmerica/Facts/fact-pdog.cfm http://www.prairiewildlife.org/PlagueUpdate.htm The Sylvatic Plague being suffered, by the Blackfoot FerretCommunities is the same one, which devastated the Prairie Dog Communities, in the 1980's and/or the 1990's. Very little, if anything, was done, by the Western State and Federal Governments, until it spread into the Native American Tribes. Than, the CDC denied it was a Plague, until Native Americans started dieing. By the time the Western State and Federal Governments became involved, it was Almost Too Little Too Late. Frowns, Arlena Owned By Charity And Lucia! Ferrets Rule My World! Every Ferret Has A Song And Dance! [Posted in FML 6039]