Gunnison's Prairie Dog
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| Gunnison's Prairie Dog | ||||||||||||||
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| Cynomys gunnisoni (Baird, 1855) |
Gunnison's Prairie Dog (Cynomys gunnisoni), is found in the four corners area of North America, primarily living in sagebrush ecosystems. This prairie dog species hibernates from November through March.
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[edit] Description
The Gunnison's prairie dog is distinct from its cousins. Gunnison's prairie dogs are yellow-tan in color, slightly paler than other prairie dog species, and have a short white-tipped tail [1].
[edit] Conservation Status
The species appears in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with a status of lower risk/least concern, last assessed in 1996[2].
Petitions have been made to protect the Gunnison's prairie dog, but they have been denied by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service due to insufficient scientific data describing current population trends[3]. The Fish and Wildlife Service plans on reevaluating their status when more detailed studies become available.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.r6.fws.gov/species/mammals/gunnisonprairiedog/ US Fish and Wildlife Service
- ^ 2007 IUCN Red List – Search
- ^ http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/pressrel/06-08.htm US Fish and Wildlife Service Gunnison's Prairie Dog Press Release
[edit] External links
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