[Ford Fairlane]

Prarie Dogs??

I must have killed hundreds of them. Since when are they protected?

[B4Ranch]

Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) employees who believe in the Endangered Species Act (ESA) say them prairie dogs are endangered!

[Redcloak]

This is a particular sub-species, Cynomys parvidens; the "Utah Prairie Dog". It's not unusual to find the EPA protecting obscure sub-species as "endangered" even though it may not be clear that the animals involved are indeed a unique sub-species. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that C. parvidens isn't a truly differentiated species. Of course, it's not to the benefit of the EPA employees to conclude that a given population isn't unique and thus endangered.