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Catch of the Day

Summer 2007 Newsletter

On the spring bird count, in the heat of the day, two almond-shaped eyes peered back at Rickie through her binoculars. “What is that beautiful little creature?” she wondered.

As it turned out, this was the catch of the day — and not even a bird. What Rickie saw was a Franklin’s Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii, Sabine 1822), the super-rare, larger cousin of the common gopher (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus, Mitchill, 1821). Yes, the name leaves much to be desired. ‘Tallgrass Prairie Dog’ would be closer to the truth.

Later in the day, at the bird tally, only one person knew of this little mammal. The general reaction was, “A prairie dog — who knew?” It seems they have been rare long enough for most everyone to have forgotten they were ever a part of the tallgrass prairie biome. That’s sad… and eminently correctible.

The Tallgrass Prairie Dog is about the size of a gray squirrel (14-16 inches), more slender (12-35 ounces), and without the bushy tail. The pelage is short, gray on the head and tail, brown on the back, and buff on the belly. There is a very distinctive white eye ring.

Behaviorally, these critters seem to lack the noisy quarrelsomeness of their western cousins. They are wary and secretive, marginally sociable, and more often heard (a quick, musical series of whistles) than seen. They spend nearly all of their time underground, hibernating in winter and aestivating in summer.

When active, the Tallgrass Prairie Dog is in search of tasty leaves, insects, seeds, eggs, fruit, and even road kill. They must be wary of coyote, skunk, fox, and hawk or they themselves will become lunch.

A Tallgrass Prairie Dog burrow consists of 2-10 small entrance holes, dug into a slope or berm. The tunnels go deep (up to eight feet in soft ground) to nesting and food storage areas. The entire colony of 10-20 individuals (historically up to 100) may move to a new burrow in late summer. Populations run in a 4-5 year cycle, rising to 4-5 per acre on good sites (historically up to 30).

The original distribution for this species closely followed the tallgrass prairie (east to western Indiana, west to eastern Kansas, and north to central Manitoba). Millions were shot in the late 19th century for ten cents a pelt. Rarely seen today, they can be found in areas with a tall, dense mix of grasses and forbs, sometimes under an open woody canopy.

An Illinois census in 2001 found 49 individuals in 16 counties. As of this year, the Tallgrass Prairie Dog is merely listed as ‘present’ in 6 Illinois counties. Two attempts at reintroduction (both in Illinois) have failed. There are no known individuals being held in captivity.

You may well ask, “Why is this population still declining?” The research is slim, but the likely causes are loss of habitat, mowing and spraying (especially along railways), and the continued use of traps and poisons. The only remedy would seem to be reintroduction into large-scale prairie or savanna restorations.

So… let’s get on with it.

— Jim Rachuy, President of the Northwest Illinois Prairie Enthusiasts.

For more information:

Huebschman J.J.; C. Warwick, Ed. Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat Associations of Franklin’s Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii Sabine 1822), Illinois Natural History Survey (Pub. B38-1). Champaign, Illinois. January, 2007 ($10.00).