THE UTAH PRAIRIE DOG: Life Among the Red Rocks

photography by Elaine Miller Bond

A prairie dog town is a busy place. As author and field researcher Theodore Manno explains prairie dogs exhibit mischief, romantic trysts, antipredator behavior, fighting, kissing, and infanticide that can all be witnessed over the course of a few months. In this definitive book on Utah prairie dogs, he vividly recounts the daily ups and downs of prairie dog life as well as his own trials and triumphs while observing these rare rodents in Bryce Canyon National Park. As part of John Hoogland’s long-term study, Manno and other members of the “Dog Squad” recorded the behavior of the “town” residents from the vantage point of a nine-foot-tall tower. Over time, the researchers came to know the personalities, family relationships, and social structure of the town’s inhabitants. Demonstrating an unbridled passion for research, Manno communicates the satisfaction, excitement, and sadness that comes with watching marked individuals over time. His extensively researched narrative, accompanied by more than 150 photos by wildlife photographer Elaine Miller Bond, provides a full overview of what is currently known about Utah prairie dogs, a species that is threatened with extinction.

SWAMP RAT:
The Story of Dixie’s Nutria Invasion

foreword by Elaine Miller Bond

Theodore G. Manno traces the history of nutria from their natural range in South America to their status as an invasive species known for destroying the environmentally and economically important wetlands along the Gulf Coast. In this definitive book on “swamp rats,” Manno vividly recounts western expansion and the explosion of the American fur industry. Then he details an apocalyptic turn―to replace an overhunted beaver population in North America, humans introduced nutria.

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Photos from THE UTAH PRAIRIE DOG

Praise for The Utah Prairie Dog

“An incredible blend of scholarship and experience.... The work represents a cornucopia of detailed scientific finds, incredible images, and humorous anecdotes on the trials and tribulations of field biologists working to reveal the mysteries of one of America’s most uncommon species. This opus represents a laudatory compendium on everything that is known on Utah prairie dogs but also provides new insights and a colorful picture of a fascinating beast!”
— John L. Koprowski, Professor of Wildlife Conservation and Management at the University of Arizona