WHITE-TAILED PRAIRIE DOG

Species Description:  Prairie dogs occur only in North America.  They are rodents within the squirrel family and include five species--the white-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus), the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), the Gunnison prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni), the Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens), and the Mexican prairie dog (Cynomys mexicanus).

The white-tailed prairie dog is approximately 13 to 15 inches long and weighs around one to three pounds.  It is a small, stout rodent with a short, white-tipped tail, large eyes, a blackish brown cheek patch above and below each eye, and a tan-brown pelt.  The so-called prairie dog was named for its barking call.  All five species of prairie dogs live in colonies.  White-tailed prairie dogs have a looser social structure and occur at a lower density then black-tailed prairie dogs.

Location: White-tailed prairie dogs are found across the western half of Wyoming, western Colorado, the eastern portion of Utah, and a small portion of southern Montana.  The largest remaining complexes or groups, occupying more than 5,000 acres each, are primarily found in Wyoming.  An estimated 55 percent of white-tailed prairie dog habitat is found on lands belonging to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

White-tailed prairie dogs are generally found at altitudes ranging between 5,000 and 10,000 feet in desert grasslands and shrub grasslands.  Conversely, the black-tailed prairie dogs are found at altitudes below 6,000 feet in grasslands associated with the Great Plains and are not tolerant of shrubs within their colony.

Recent Actions:  In May 2008, the Fish and Wildlife Service initiated a status review of the white-tailed prairie dog to determine if the species warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act. In 2004, the Service determined that a petition submitted by the Center for Native Ecosystems and others did not present substantial biological information indicating that listing may be warranted. 

In 2007, after questions were raised regarding whether the petition decision was based on the best science, the Service announced the decision would be reconsidered.  Subsequently, the Center for Native Ecosystems filed a lawsuit regarding the petition finding.  In a stipulated settlement, the Service agreed to submit to the Federal Register by May 1, 2008 a notice initiating a status review for the white-tailed prairie dog and submit the results of that status review to the Federal Register by June 1, 2010.

The Service and the plaintiffs agreed to a status review completion date of June 2010 to allow sufficient time to obtain solid data.

• Press Release: May 6, 2008 Service to Conduct Status Review of the White-tailed Prairie Dog
• Federal Register Notice: May 6, 2008 12-Month Finding on a Petition to List the White-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys leucurus) as Threatened or Endangered

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