El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-11

which is one of the remarkable facts
about these curious animals
Damage to Cattle.
Nevertheless. where farmers are scat
tered and much of the country is given
UP to the pastuTing of cattle and sheep,
the prairie dogs do an immense amount
Of damage. 1t is reckOned that % Of
them consume as much grass as one
sheep, and that 256 deTOur as much as
would be required for one COW. On
this basis, the grass annually eaten
within the limits of one great prairie
dog colony in Texas would suffice to
maintain 1852, 600 cattle-the pCpula-
ton Of this colony being reekoned at
400, 100000
This. however. is by far the most
extensive and most pOpulOus prairie
dog town in the United States, occupy
ing an area $50 miles long and $50
miles in greatest width. Enormous
though the task involved, measures will
have to be taken eventually for Wiping
out this. colony 1t viii be attacked
systematically, beginning at the edges
and its extent viii be steadily reduced
year by year until the last of the ami
mails have been destroyed To con-
siderable extent these operations VIII
be helped by the progress Of settle
Desert Is Home.
The natural home Of the prairie dog
is what used to be called che Great
American Desert-a level and slightly
western edge of the Mississippi valley
to the Rocky mountains and from
Montana and Dakota, southwark
to Texas and Mexico. 1t is treeless
region, except along water courses. But
within recent years farmers and, stock
raisers have invaded 1t, and the depre-
I datiOus of prairie dogs have begun 10
be seriously especially Tor the rea-
son that temporarily at least, encour-
agement was given to the multiplied
ton of the little animals by the grow
ing Of crops Con which they fed, and
by the killing Of their enemies, such as
Z hawks. owls, snakes and coyotes. In
some districts they have reduced the
producing capacity Of the land by 80 or
even IS percent.
The problem in Kansas became so
serious that, in 1901, war was declared
upon the prairie dogs, with the very
satisfactory results already mentioned
In other parts of the middle west no
such measures have been adopted, but
owing to the progress Of settl emit
the mum bers of the animals are DecOm-
ing steadily less, and the areas Occu-
pied by them are diminishing. There are
still many dog towns however, cover
ing from 100 to 1000 square miles, with
an average of % to 80 burrows 70 the
acre. Prairie dogs are eminently social
! creatures, and are always found In col
onies
Saws DIT. c. Hart Merriam. Gross
ing the United States by any Of the
! transcOntinenta railroads, on the sec
ond day out from Chicago, the traveller
looking out of the car window sees
/ colonies Of little animals about the
/ size Of cOttOn-tsil rabbits Some sit
! erect at the mouths OF their burrows,
viewing the train, while others are
feeding or running to and fro. AL
though ordinarily the most timid Of
/ creatures. they become at length SO
/ far accustomed TO the rush and roar
Of the railroad that, within so feet Of
/ the passing locomotive, they appear
3 wholly unCOncerned-'
The typical prairie dog burrow dips
/ down at a steep angle from the surface
/ Of the ground and then turns hori-
J zontaIly Nests for breeding purposes
/ are excavated off and usually above
I the horizontal shaft. At a distance Oi
1 four or five feet below the surface
I opening is q small side chamber. When
/ the animal dives into its burroW or
{ taking alarm it viii commonly sit il
{ this side chamber and -scOld and bark
{ only retreating into the depths of its
I abode in case the danger seems rea
/ and imminent
4 At Alma, Neb., a biological expert