White-tailed Prairie Dog
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| White-tailed Prairie Dog | ||||||||||||||
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| Cynomys leucurus (Merriam, 1890) |
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. This prairie dog species lives 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.
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[edit] Description
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[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 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[3]. 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.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.r6.fws.gov/species/mammals/wtprairiedog/ US Fish and Wildlife Service
- ^ 2007 IUCN Red List – Search
- ^ http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/pressrel/04-78.htm US Fish and Wildlife Service White-tailed Prairie Dog Press Release
- ^ Lewis, Paul. "Agency to review species decisions", Washington Post, 2007-07-20.
[edit] External links
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