Communication between and among white-tailed prairie dogs is highly visual and auditory. Prairie dogs are named for their trademark "bark". Though other species of prairie dog have many calls, some specific for certain types of predators, most scientists recognize only five different calls for white-tailed prairie dogs. The "repetitious bark" is used to alert others of a threat. The "laughing bark" is a signal for group cohesion. The "snarl" is used as an intense threat. The "growl" is used as a mild threat, and the "scream" is a distress call.
Visual signals are also widely used in C. leucurus. If a group of prairie dogs is feeding and an individual stands up and looks around, all the others in the area will also stand up and survey the area. White-tailed prairie dogs use mounds surrounding their burrows as lookout points.
There is little evidence of communication by contact among C. leucurus. However, a type of "kiss" has been observed among pups and from pup to adult. Also, when a male wants to mate, he might signal to a female by sticking his snout in her genital region and lifting her tail.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic
Other Communication Modes: choruses
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
White-tailed prairie dogs have so far survived many concerted extermination programs. In 1915, the Biological Survey began programs to exterminate prairie dogs. In 1923 Wyoming state law required prairie dogs to be exterminated. By the end of 1923 95 to 100% of prairie dogs in Wyoming were killed. Since 1915, millions of hectares of prairie dog land had been poisoned. Prairie dogs have survived these eradication programs and are now making a comeback because of reduced efforts to control the population and protection by national parks. Though they are extremely reduced in population from what they once were, white-tailed prairie dogs still remain a low priority for protection.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
White-tailed prairie dogs have been considered a pest for many years by farmers. Though prairie dog towns create optimal grazing lands for domestic livestock, they also destroy crops. A prairie dog colony will reduce available forage. As a result, farmers have been trying to eradicate these rodents for many years. White-tailed prairie dogs can also carry diseases such as sylvatic plague, which can decimate populations of animals, including prairie dogs.
Negative Impacts: crop pest; causes or carries domestic animal disease
White-tailed prairie dogs provide crucial grazing lands for bison, pronghorn antelope, and domestic livestock. Prairie dog towns often have more fertile soil and better grass and sedge production than other areas surrounding them. This is a result of the mixing and aerating of soil by burrowing. The biological waste produced by prairie dogs also helps fertilize the soil. Many prairie dog towns are protected and located within national parks and provide natural scenery and a safe wildlife experience for the thousands of people who see them every year.
Positive Impacts: ecotourism ; produces fertilizer
Despite the fact that white-tailed prairie dog populations have been severely decimated, they remain vital parts of high altitude grassland and sagebrush ecosystems. White-tailed prairie dogs are prey for many grassland predators. Black footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) rely almost exclusively on prairie dogs for prey and use their burrows for shelter. Prairie dogs aerate and mix the soil by burrowing which in turn provides better grazing for American pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) and other herbivores. Aerating the soil also makes it easier for water to penetrate deeper into the ground, making it more fertile for plants, especially sagebrush.
Ecosystem Impact: soil aeration
White-tailed prairie dogs are herbivores, eating grasses and sedges. During the spring, when they emerge from winter dormancy, they eat sagebrush and saltbush because other foods are not yet mature enough to eat. As other foods become available, they switch to forbs, such as dandelions, and grasses, such as western wheatgrass. White-tailed prairie dogs also eat mature seed heads of grasses, forbs, and sedges when they are available. White-tailed prairie dogs seem to get all the water they need from the foods they eat, as adults are rarely observed drinking and pups drink only occasionally. Pups are nursed until they emerge from burrows. When they are old enough to emerge from burrows they eat the same foods as adults. White-tailed prairie dogs spend spring, summer, and fall eating in preparation for their dormancy in the winter.
Plant Foods: leaves; seeds, grains, and nuts; flowers
Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore )
White-tailed prairie dogs, like all prairie dogs, are found only in North America. White-tailed prairie dog colonies are found in Wyoming, northwest Colorado, northeastern Utah, and south central Montana. They once occurred more widely, but eradication efforts have shrunk their range. White-tailed prairie dogs thrive in dry, high altitude areas.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
White-tailed prairie dogs are normally found anywhere from 5000 to 10,000 ft above sea level. They usually occupy areas that are higher in elevation than other prairie dog species, such as black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). Their habitat is dry, desert grasslands and shrublands. Sage is especially important as a form of cover.
Range elevation: 1500 to 3000 m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland
Like many wild animals, it is difficult to estimate the lifespan of white-tailed prairie dogs. Predation by a myriad of different animals and the hunting of prairie dogs by humans for sport results in high mortality rates. Among pups there is about a 40% mortality rate.
White-tailed prairie dogs are small prairie dogs, with males slightly larger than females. The fur is light brown with a blackish-brown patch above and below each eye. The characteristic that distinguishes them most easily from other prairie dogs is their white-tipped tail, but habitat type also distinguishes species. Head and body length in adult males is between 342 and 399 mm in length. Females range from 315 to 375 mm. Males weigh 750 to 1700 g and females from 675 to 1200 g. Females weigh much less during the breeding season, but gain weight during pregnancy and early lactation which is normally during late March and April. After lactation they lose much of their weight, gaining it steadily back throughout the summer until they become inactive in the fall. White-tailed prairie dogs pups weigh between 100 and 150 g when they first emerge from their burrows, which is about a month after they are born. They gain weight throughout the summer as well, until they enter hibernation in the fall.
Range mass: 675 to 1700 g.
Average mass: 1139 g.
Range length: 315 to 399 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
White-tailed prairie dogs have many natural predators. Black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) prey almost exclusively on all species of prairie dogs. American badgers (Taxidea taxus) and golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) are also important predators of prairie dogs. Foxes (Vulpes vulpes), coyotes (Canis latrans), raccoons (Procyon lotor), skunks (Mephitis mephitis), American minks (Martes americana), and weasels (Mustela) are all opportunistic predators of white-tailed prairie dogs as well. Nine other species of raptors have been sighted in or around prairie dog colonies and probably prey on them.
White-tailed prairie dogs live in colonies of burrows. Sentinel animals are always stationed near burrow entrances and signal with energetic whistles when danger is noticed. Colony members rely on this vigilance network and escaping to their burrows for protection from predation. White-tailed prairie dogs are also cryptically colored, helping to protect them from predation.
Known Predators:
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
White-tailed prairie dogs mate after they emerge from hibernation in mid to late March. Usually a male will approach a female from the rear and mount her. Sometimes males indicate he wants to mate by thrusting his snout into the genital region of a female and lifting her tail. Mounts can last for a few seconds or as long as two minutes, during which time he will rub or stroke the female with his fore-limbs. Often the female will roll over to stop the mating and females have been known to attack males between mountings, pushing them back or biting them. Copulation occurs in the open, close to burrow entrances. As a result, other males often interrupt mating.
Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)
Breeding generally occurs after females emerge from hibernation in late March and early April. Gestation lasts about 30 days, offspring are born during late April and early May. Newborn young don't leave their burrows for 5 to 7 weeks, appearing in early June. A prairie dog litter averages 5 young, but can be as few as 2 or as many as 8. White tailed prairie dogs have one litter annually and begin breeding at 1 year old. Females nurse and care for the pups. Aggression from adult males to pups has been observed in populations but is not common.
Breeding interval: White tailed prairie dogs breed once a year.
Breeding season: Breeding season occurs when females emerge from hibernation during late March and Early June.
Range number of offspring: 2 to 8.
Average gestation period: 30 days.
Range weaning age: 4 to 5 weeks.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
In white-tailed prairie dogs females are the primary caretakers of their offspring. After birth young are nursed for 4 to 5 weeks until they are able to emerge from the burrows. Males do not participate in the care of their offspring. After a pup emerges from the burrow for the first time, it is relatively independent. During the mornings, females are the first ones out of the burrow and give warning calls if there are predators nearby. This is one of the only ways females protect their young after pups emerge from the burrow.
Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)
The white-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus) 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".[3] 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.
The white-tailed prairie dog is tan-brown in color, with large eyes and a dark patch on their cheeks above and below each eye.[4] This prairie dog species weighs between 28 - 53oz (800 - 1500g), while having a length between 12 - 16in (315 - 399mm).[5]
White-tailed prairie dogs display Interspecific competition with the Wyoming ground squirrel. When the squirrel enters the territory of the prairie dog, the white-tailed prairie dog chases the squirrel. Rarely does the prairie dog capture and kill the squirrel, but when it does, it leaves the squirrel for avian predators, as the prairie dog is an herbivore. Female white-tailed prairie dogs who killed squirrels had increased litter sizes, but the higher her body count, the lower her chances of surviving each subsequent attack.[6] White-tailed prairie dogs are diurnal, being the most active in the morning and afternoon. This species also hibernates in the winter seasons within their burrows and emerge to the surface when warmer seasonal changes occur. Male white-tailed prairie dogs emerge in late February to early March, while the female white-tailed prairie dog emerges roughly 2–3 weeks later.[5]
White-tailed prairie dogs are herbivorous, feeding mainly on grass, forbs, and sedges, primarily forbs.[7]
White-tailed prairie dogs have a complex social system and live in colonies. This species uses visual signals and barks for communication. On average, each colony has 6 different "clans" or families. These families forage together for food and resources. The female white-tailed prairie dogs and their pups are sedentary, meaning they stay close to or inside the burrow, while the male seeks the food.[5]
White-tailed prairie dog populations have decreased dramatically, and the remaining population occupies only around 8% of their original range. It is subject to population controls by humans (shooting and poisoning), and threatened by a disease called Sylvatic Plague that can infect all prairie dogs. This animal lives in small communities that are vulnerable to being wiped out by all of these issues. This species appears in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with a status of least concern, last assessed in 1996.[1] Petitions have been made to protect the white-tailed prairie dog, but they have been denied by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service due to insufficient scientific data describing current population trends.[8] This denial is being reconsidered, because former deputy assistant secretary Julie MacDonald has been found to have improperly influenced the scientific basis of the denial. Groups such as the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance are working to legally protect this species.[9]
The white-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus) 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.
