A larger paler prairie dog of intermountain west valleys. Unlike black-tailed cousins, they hibernate through winter and live in looser colonies, making them less visible but no less important to grassland systems.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The white-tailed prairie dog is found in western Wyoming and western Colorado with small areas in eastern Utah and southern Montana. The largest populations are in Wyoming where they are known colloquially as "chiselers". This prairie dog species lives at an elevation between 5,000 and 10,000 feet, generally a higher elevation than other prairie dog species. Its predators include black-footed ferrets, badgers, and golden eagles.
Source: Wikipedia — White-tailed prairie dog Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Brown prairie dog with relatively short white-tipped tail.
Similar species. Black-tailed Prairie Dog (longer tail; different range). Other Cynomys species.
Voice. Sharp alarm yelps.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Grasses, forbs.
Behavior. Smaller cousin of black-tailed prairie dog. Lives in higher-elevation valleys of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Montana.
§ Range
Higher elevations of WY, CO, UT, MT
§ Habitat
Mountain valleys, sagebrush flats, dry meadows at 5,000–10,000 ft
§ Threats
Energy development (oil, gas, solar), poisoning, sylvatic plague, shooting.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the white-tailed prairie dog is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support careful energy siting. Oppose recreational prairie dog shooting. Donate to plague vaccine research.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — White-tailed prairie dog
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Cynomys leucurus
- IUCN Red List · taxon 6088
- iNaturalist · taxon 46038
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Cynomys leucurus
§ Sources cited
- American Society of Mammalogists
- IUCN Red List 2016
