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Home/Species/ White-tailed Prairie Dog

Cynomys leucurus

Merriam, 1890

White-tailed Prairie Dog

G4Apparently Secure Found in 11 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
HighThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105950
Element CodeAMAFB06020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilySciuridae
GenusCynomys
Other Common Names
white-tailed prairie dog (EN)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Taxonomic Comments
Cynomys parvidens has been regarded as a subspecies of Cynomys leucurus by some authors. Thorington and Hoffmann (in Wilson and Reeder 2005) recognized the two taxa as distinct species.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2021-09-08
Change Date1996-11-06
Edition Date2021-09-08
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G. (2010), Bachen, Dan (2021)
Threat ImpactHigh
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
This species has undergone a long-term decline but seems to have stabilized to the point that it can be relatively common within parts of its range, and occupancy appears to be stable within its core areas. However, disease, habitat loss, and persecution pose continuing threats to persistence.
Range Extent Comments
The range of this species extends from the Bighorn Basin in extreme southern Montana southward across central and southwestern Wyoming into western and north-central Colorado and eastern Utah, USA. See Goodwin (1995) for a review of the biogeographic history of prairie dogs. The range extent for the species was calculated at 211,029 km2 (Mack et al. 2017).
Occurrences Comments
Occurrences are not tracked by all state heritage programs across the species’ range, but 2000-2021 records of the species suggest that there are hundreds of occurrences (GBIF 2021).
Threat Impact Comments
Sylvatic Plague and continued persecution pose threats to persistence of populations of this species. Loss of native shrublands and other habitat to development and habitat degradation due to grazing and conversion to agriculture as well as legal shooting may also have impacts on the species (Keinath 2004, Mack et al. 2017).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

White-tailed prairie dogs have a gray to yellowish brown upper body, dark cheek patches, and a whitish to grayish tip on the short tail; total length up to about 40 cm.

Habitat

This loosely colonial species inhabits open shrublands, semidesert grasslands, and open valleys. It lives at higher elevations and in meadows with more diverse grass and herb cover than do black-tailed prairie dogs (Hoffman, in Wilson and Ruff 1999). Young are born in underground burrows.

Ecology

Forms loose colonies. One study estimated average density at 3.2/ha.

Major predators like golden eagle and badger have been considered minor causes of mortality.

Susceptible to rapid population declines resulting from flea-borne sylvatic plague (Clark et al. 1971; see also papers by Barnes, Cully, and Fitzgerald in Oldemeyer et al. 1993).

White-footed prairie dogs are one of the important food resources for the endangered black-footed ferret.

Reproduction

Breeding occurs shortly after female emergence from hibernation. Juveniles appear above ground in late May or June, 5-7 weeks postpartum. Both sexes breed as 1-year-olds.
Terrestrial Habitats
Shrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceous
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
ColoradoS4Yes
MontanaS1Yes
WyomingS2Yes
UtahS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial developmentSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquacultureSmall (1-10%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
3 - Energy production & miningRestricted (11-30%)Serious or 31-70% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
5 - Biological resource useSmall (1-10%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
8 - Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseasesPervasive (71-100%)Moderate or 11-30% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (11)
Colorado (1)
AreaForestAcres
Dome PeakRoutt NF35,716
Montana (2)
AreaForestAcres
Lost Water CanyonCuster National Forest9,251
Mt. Gmt Area HCuster National Forest1,335
Utah (2)
AreaForestAcres
0419020Ashley National Forest355,684
North PavantFishlake National Forest53,262
Wyoming (6)
AreaForestAcres
0401018Ashley National Forest6,157
0401019Ashley National Forest6,202
Rock CreekMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest18,874
South Beartooth HighwayShoshone National Forest105,570
Wapiti Valley SouthShoshone National Forest43,517
West Slope WindsBridger-Teton National Forest143,252
References (18)
  1. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2024. The Mammal Diversity Database (MDD). Online. Available: www.mammaldiversity.org
  2. Clark, T.W. 1977. Ecology and ethology of the white-tailed prairie dog (Cynomus leucurus). 103 pp.
  3. Clark, T.W., R.S. Hoffmann, and C.F. Nadler. 1971. <i>Cynomys leucurus</i>. Mammalian Species, 7:1-4.
  4. Crocker-Bedford, D. C., and J. J. Spillett. 1977. Home ranges of Utah prairie dogs. Journal of Mammalogy 58:672-73.
  5. Garrett, M. G., and W. L. Franklin. 1988. Behavioral ecology of dispersal in the black-tailed prairie dog. J. Mamm. 69:236-250.
  6. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2021. GBIF data accessed through GeoCAT portal. Online. Available: http://geocat.kew.org/ (accessed 2021).
  7. Goodwin, H. T. 1995a. Pliocene-Pleistocene biogeographic history of prairie dogs, genus <i>Cynomys</i> (Sciuridae). Journal of Mammalogy 76:100-122.
  8. Hollister, N. 1916. A systematic account of the prairie-dogs. North American Fauna 40:1-37.
  9. Jones, J. K., Jr., D. M. Armstrong, R. S. Hoffmann, and C. Jones. 1983. Mammals of the Northern Great Plains. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Nebraska.
  10. Jones, J. K., Jr., R. S. Hoffman, D. W. Rice, C. Jones, R. J. Baker, and M. D. Engstrom. 1992a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1991. Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University, 146:1-23.
  11. Knowles, C. J. 1985. Observations on prairie dog dispersal in Montana. Prairie Nat. 17:33-40.
  12. Menkens, G. E., Jr., D. E. Biggens, and S. H. Anderson. 1990. Visual counts as an index of white-tailed prairie dog density. Wildl. Soc. Bull. 18:290-296.
  13. Oldemeyer, J. L., et al. 1993. Proceedings of the symposium on the management of prairie dog complexes for the reintroduction of the black-footed ferret. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 13. iii + 96 pp.
  14. Oldemeyer, J. L., et al. 1994. Proceedings of a symposium for the management of prairie dog complexes for the reintroduction of the black-footed ferret. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 13. 96 pp.
  15. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 2017. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Findings on Petitions To List Four Species as Endangered or Threatened Species. Federal Register 82(233):57562-57565.
  16. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
  17. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Third edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Two volumes. 2,142 pp. [As modified by ASM the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) at https://www.mammaldiversity.org/index.html]
  18. Wilson, D. E., and S. Ruff. 1999. The Smithsonian book of North American mammals. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 750 pp.