Cynomys

Genus Cynomys
Range
Taxonomic classification
Order:	Rodentia
Suborder:	Sciuromorpha
Family:	Sciuridae
Subfamily:	Xerinae
Tribe:	Marmotini

Prairie dogs are large ground squirrels in the genus Cynomys. Currently, there are 5 recognized species in the genus, with four of those species occurring in the United States. Cynomys mexicanus is a species endemic to Mexico.

Species in the United States

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  Gunnison's Prairie Dog (Cynomys gunnisoni) observed by Cathy Pasterczyk in Taos, New Mexico.The dorsal color is yellowish buff intermixed with blackish hairs. The top of the head, sides of cheeks, and "eyebrows" are noticeably darker than other parts of the pelage. The proximal half of the tail is the same color as the dorsal pelage.

• 

  White-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys leucurus) observed by Liam Pentangelo in Jackson County, Colorado. The general color of upper body parts is yellowish buff, streaked with blackish. A spot above the eye and a large area on the cheek are blackish brown. The tip of the tail is generally white or pale, but not black.

• 

  Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) observed by Liam Pentangelo in Boulder County, Colorado. They are brown or reddish-brown above and whitish below and have long, black-tipped tails, which readily distinguish them from all other species in the United States.

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  Utah Prairie Dog (Cynomys parvidens) observed by Creed Clayton in southern Utah. The dorsum, including the proximal half of the tail, is cinnamon to clay in color. The cheeks are marked by a brown patch.

Identification

Key to the prairie dogs

Differences between subgenera Cynomys and Leucocrossuromys

From Hoogland (1996): "Hollister (1916) grouped black-tailed prairie dogs together with Mexican prairie dogs into the subgenus Cynomys. Hollister (1916; see also Clark et al., 1971; Pizzimenti, 1975) grouped the other three species, all with shorter (40-65 mm), white- or gray-tipped tails, into the subgenus Leucocrossuromys. Salient differences between the two subgenera include the following: Leucocrossuromys hibernate each year, but Cynomys do not; Leucocrossuromys live at altitudes of 1,500-3,000 m above sea level, but Cynomys live at altitudes of 1,300-2,000 m; shrubs and herbs within colonies of Leucocrossuromys are commonly 0.5 m high or taller, but vegetation with colonies of Cynomys is rarely taller than 0.3 m (Hollister, 1916; Hoogland, 1995; Pizzimenti, 1975). Further, Leucocrossuromys have smaller molar teeth and thinner jugal bones than do Cynomys (Clark et al., 1971; Hollister, 1916; Pizzimenti, 1975). Finally, the territorial and anti predator calls of black-tailed and Mexican prairie dogs are practically identical, but differ markedly from the territorial and antipredator calls of, Gunnison's, white-tailed, and Utah prairie dogs (Clark, 1977; Hoogland, 1995, 1996; Pizzimenti and McCleneghan, 1974; Rayor, 1988; Slobodchikoff et al., 1991; Waring, 1970; Wright-Smith, 1978)."

Comparison with ground squirrels in the genus Urocitellus

Urocitellus ground squirrels, particularly the Wyoming Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus elegans), are sometimes confused with prairie dogs. Urocitellus ground squirrels are distinguished from prairie dogs by their smaller body size, smaller skull, and pelage coloration. Prairie dogs generally have more uniform, buff or tan coloration without much patterning.

Range maps for species in the United States

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  Gunnison's Prairie Dog (Cynomys gunnisoni)

• 

  White-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys leucurus)

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  Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)

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  Utah Prairie Dog (Cynomys parvidens)

Available taxon pages

The following subgenera are available on WhiskerWiki for this genus:

• Subgenus: Leucocrossuromys
  • Cynomys gunnisoni
  • Cynomys leucurus
  • Cynomys parvidens
• Subgenus: Cynomys
  • Cynomys ludovicianus

References

Clark TW, Hoffmann RS, Nadler CF. 1971. Cynomys leucurus. Mammalian Species (7):1-4.

Hollister N. 1916. A systematic account of the prairie dogs. North American Fauna 40:1-37.

Hoogland JL. 1995. The black-tailed prairie dog: social life of a burrowing mammal. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, 557 pp.

Hoogland JL. 1996. Cynomys ludovicianus. Mammalian species (535):1-10.

Hoogland JL. 1996. Why do Gunnison's prairie dogs give anti-predator calls? Animal Behaviour 51:871-880.

Pizzimenti JJ. 1975. Evolution of the prairie dog genus Cynomys. Occasional papers of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, 39:1-73.

Pizzimenti JJ, McCleneghan LR. 1974. Reproduction, growth and development, and behavior in the Mexican prairie dog, Cynomys mexicanus (Merriam). American Midland Naturalist 92:130-145.

Rayor LS. 1988. Social organization and space-use in Gunnison's prairie dog. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 22:69-78.

Slobodchikoff CN, Kiriazis J, Fischer C, Creef E. 1991. Semantic information distinguishing individual predators in the alarm calls of Gunnison's prairie dogs. Animal Behaviour 42(5):713-719.

Waring GH. 1970. Sound communications of black-tailed, white-tailed, and Gunnison's prairie dogs. American Midland Naturalist 83:167-185.

Wright-Smith MA. 1978. The ecology and social organization of Cynomys parvidens (Utah prairie dog) in south central Utah. M.S. thesis, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, 44 pp.