Species → Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Cynomys ludovicianus
What if it disappeared?
Impact ModeratePrairie dog burrows create a network of habitats used by dozens of other species — from insects to raptors — and their presence is associated with higher animal diversity than on a comparable prairie without a colony.
DocumentedDetail
Miller, B., Ceballos, G. et Reading, R. (1994). The prairie dog and biotic diversity. Conservation Biology, 8(3), 677–681.
Burrows alter local soil structure and vegetation, and numerous species — from the black-footed ferret to the burrowing owl — directly use prairie dog colonies as habitat or a food source.
The loss of a colony could trigger a cascading decline among the species that depend on it most, notably the black-footed ferret — but the actual extent of this 'keystone species' role is the subject of scientific debate.
ExtrapolatedDetail
Extrapolation prudente : une revue critique de 1999 (Kotliar et al.) a directement contesté l'ampleur du rôle de clé de voûte attribué au chien de prairie dans certains travaux antérieurs.
The effect is solidly documented for a small number of highly specialized species (black-footed ferret, burrowing owl), but according to some authors is overstated for the prairie animal community as a whole — an example where the literature itself is divided on the exact magnitude of the effect, not just its existence.
What's missing to confirm it: A consensus on the actual magnitude (as opposed to the mere existence) of the prairie dog's keystone effect on the prairie community as a whole, beyond the few well-documented specialist species.
Documentation
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IUCN Red List — Cynomys ludovicianus, statut de conservation
Accessed August 7, 2026
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Miller, Ceballos & Reading (1994) — The prairie dog and biotic diversity, Conservation Biology
Accessed August 7, 2026
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Kotliar et al. — A critical review of assumptions about the prairie dog as a keystone species
Accessed August 7, 2026
Last verified: August 7, 2026