🌾 “Prairie dogs are ecosystem engineers. As they go about their lives, they change their surroundings in ways that provide shelter, food and even nurseries for other species. On the grasslands of Montana, prairie dog colonies are islands of biodiversity. . . . 🌾 “Their burrows provide homes for many animals, including burrowing owls, badgers, swift fox, tiger salamanders, gopher snakes and black-footed ferrets, to name a few. The closely-cropped grass lawns they keep around their colonies are favorite foraging areas for bison and pronghorn, and perfect nesting habitat for mountain plovers and long-billed curlews. . . . 🌾 “Over the last 100 years, prairie dogs have disappeared from more than 90% of their historic range. Conserving what’s left of their habitat is essential, not just for prairie dogs but also for the creatures that rely on them.”—Andy Boyce, conservation ecologist with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute . . . ✏️ Check out more field notes from Andy! FIELD IN FOCUS: https://s.si.edu/34X2QwH. . . . #NatZooZen #BringTheZooToYou #ClosedButStillCaring #FieldInFocus
