INTERSPECIFIC COMPARISONS OF SYLVATIC PLAGUE IN PRAIRIE DOGS

摘要: Of the 3 major factors (habitat loss, poisoning, and disease) that limit abundance of prairie dogs today, sylvatic plague caused by Yersinia pestis is 1 factor beyond human control. Plague epizootics frequently kill .99% in infected colonies. Although occur throughout most range United States are well described, long-term maintenance enzootic rodent species not documented or understood. We review dynamics white-tailed (Cynomys leucurus), Gunnison’s ( C. gunnisoni), black-tailed (C. ludovicianus) dogs, their flea associates. use epidemiologic concepts to support an hypothesis which disease maintained a dynamic state, requires transmission Y. be slower than recruitment new susceptible mammal hosts. Major effects reduce colony size increase intercolony distances within complexes. In presence plague, will probably survive complexes small colonies usually .3 km from nearest neighbor