Wildlife Around Las Vegas, Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)

Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
Mammals Around Las Vegas, Wildlife Around Las Vegas

Description: Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are large, yellow-gray ground squirrels with a short, black-tipped tail. The head and body are about 11-13 inches long, and the tail is another 3-4 inches. The ears are small, and the belly is light or white.

Taxonomy: Class Mammalia (mammals); Order Rodentia (rodents); Family Sciuridae (squirrels).

Technical Description:

Breeding: Three to five (8) pups born in the springs.

Black tip on tail

Diet: grasses, forbs.

Range: Historic range was throughout the western Great Plains from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains east into the western Dakotas and western Oklahoma. More restricted now due to poisoning and habitat loss. Historically occupied habitat is estimated to be about 100 million acres; current estimates are only 2 million acres.

Where to Find: Don't look for this species around Las Vegas, rather, look for them on trips to the east side of the Rocky Mountains.

Comments:

If you were a tasty forb or a little flower, this might be the last face you ever see!

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson	Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson	Bosque del Apache NWR, NM
Bosque del Apache NWR, NM	Bosque del Apache NWR, NM



Bosque del Apache NWR, NM	Notice the grass is mowed down in the prairie dog town