I was raised here in the Panhandle, so I have no qualms what-so-ever with discussing some of the "not so correct" teachings we grew up on.
Prairie dogs carry plague. Fiction: This could not be further from the truth, but the myth is rampant! Plague originated in Eur-Asia, and came across with ship rats when man started sailing back and forth between Europe and the colonies. In the original range of plague, there are no colonial rodents. None!
To be a carrier of a disease such as plague, the carrier has to be able to survive it. Plague is new to prairie dogs and when plague is brought into a prairie dog colony by fleas on a carrier animal, 95-100% of the colony dies rapidly! Prairie dogs cannot survive it. It is too new of a disease to them and their colonial lifestyle does not help one bit.
So how do they get it? Certain species of mice can survive it and serve as carriers. So can coyotes. Mice populations are a continuum across the landscape (in some situations) and so plague can spread through this continuum. Radio-marked coyotes have been known to move 30-plus miles, thus they are able to transport fleas considerable distances. USDA-Wildlife Services monitors plague by collecting coyotes throughout the Panhandle and they test for plague titers.
Again, folks....prairie dogs cannot live with plague. So, if you see an active colony of prairie dogs, plague is not present. Now....if you see an absence of prairie dogs for several weeks or you see lots of dead prairie dogs, DON'T GO OUT THERE!
Prairie dogs are the "canary in the coal mine for plague." An active colony in your area means that plague is not around.
Trust me!
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