U.S. Endangered Species -Utah Prairie Dog

Utah Prairie Dog
© B. Moose Peterson/WRP

Family: Sciuridae, Squirrels view all from this family

Description: In summer, reddish (ranging from tawny olive to clay) above, mixed with black-tipped hairs; slightly paler below. Short, white-tipped tail; terminal half has white center. L 12-14 1/4" (305-360 mm); T 1 1/8-2 1/4" (30-57 mm); HF 2 1/8-2 3/8" (55-61 mm).

Endangered Status :The Utah Prairie Dog is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. It is classified as threatened in Utah. This prairie dog, which is the least widespread of the three prairie dog species that live in the U.S., dropped in number from about 95,000 in the 1920s to just over 2,000 adults in the 1970s. The decline can be attributed to two causes. The Utah Prairie Dog was squeezed out of its habitat by human settlement. Furthermore, it was deliberately eradicated from areas, largely by ranchers who believed it used up the forage needed by livestock and by farmers who felt that the prairie dog towns destroyed their cropland. This prairie dog's numbers have recovered somewhat, and it was downlisted from endangered to threatened in 1984. A special regulation allows farmers to kill a certain number of "nuisance" animals per year.

Similar Species: White-tailed Prairie Dog is pinkish buff mixed with black above. Gunnison's Prairie Dog has grayish hairs in center of tail. Black-tailed Prairie Dog has black-tipped tail.

Habitat: Shortgrass prairies.

Range: South-central Utah.

Discussion subspecies of its close relative the White-tailed Prairie Dog. However, it has not been demonstrated that the two types interbreed, so they are considered separate species. This prairie dog's habits are presumably similar to those of the White-tailed. Some mammalogists think the Utah Prairie Dog should be recognized as a subspecies of its close relative the White-tailed Prairie Dog. However, it has not been demonstrated that the two types interbreed, so they are considered separate species. This prairie dog's habits are presumably similar to those of the White-tailed.

Source: enature.com

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