Cynomys ludovicianus
| Black-tailed Prairie Dog
(Cynomys ludovicianus) | |
|---|---|
| Range | |
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Suborder: | Sciuromorpha |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Subfamily: | Xerinae |
| Tribe: | Marmotini |
| Genus: | Cynomys |
| Subgenus: | Cynomys (subgenus) |
| Binomial details | |
| Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, 1815) | |
| Other resources | |
| Full taxonomic details at MDD | |
The Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) has the largest distribution of any species of prairie dog and the only species in the United States with a black-tipped tail.
Description
Cynomys ludovicianus have long, black-tipped tails, which readily distinguish them from all other species in the United States. From Hoogland (1996): "Except for rare albinos (Costello, 1970; Tate, 1947), black-tailed prairie dogs are brown or reddish-brown above and whitish below."
External measurements
Length measurements are in millimeters (mm) and weight measurements are in grams (g), unless stated otherwise. If available, the sample size (n=) is provided. If a range is not provided and n= is not given, then the listed measurement represents an average.
| Part of range | Reference | Total length | Tail length | Hindfoot length | Ear length | Mass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona (vicinity of Wilcox, Ft. Huachuca) | Hoffmeister (1986) | 358–408 (n=16) | 73–95 (n=16) | 50–65 (n=16) | ||
| Colorado | Armstrong et al. (2010) | 336–410 | 60–93 | 48–68 | 8–14 | 525–1,350 |
| Nebraska | Johnsgard (2020) | 312–410 | 72–90 | 680–1,500 | ||
| North Dakota | Seabloom et al. (2020) | 364 | 83 | 60 | 10 | 884 |
| Texas | Schmidly & Bradley (2016) | 388 | 86 | 62 | 1–2 kg |
Skull
Similar species
References
Costello DF. 1970. The world of the prairie dog. Lippincott, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 160 pp.
Hoogland JL. 1996. Cynomys ludovicianus. Mammalian species (535):1-10. https://doi.org/10.2307/3504202
Tate GHH. 1947. Albino prairie dog. Journal of Mammalogy (28):62.