TRANSLOCATION EFFECTS ON THE BEHAVIOR OF BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOGS (CYNOMYS-LUDOVICIANUS)

We examined the effects of translocation on Black-tailed prairie dog ( Cynomys ludovicianus) anti-predator behavior by recording response dis tances and response times to a human intruder in three colonies contai ning native, translocated, and combined native and translocated prairi e dogs. The translocated prairie dogs barked alarms and concealed them selves at significantly greater intruder distances than mixed or nativ e colonies. However individuals in different colonies did not differ i n the time taken to return to a burrow, to conceal themselves after a human approached the colony, or in the time elapsed after concealment until an animal reappeared. Translocated prairie dogs exhibited nearly twice the distance sensitivity to intrusion as native prairie dogs. I ncreased sensitivity to disturbance complicates management considerati ons of translocated populations that are subject to human traffic. Thi s increase in sensitivity may necessitate translocation to isolated or undisturbed sites, protecting sites from disturbance, translocating l arger groups of prairie dogs, or all three in order for translocated p opulations to persist.