The Gunnison's prairie dog has an incredibly complex language that can convey information about size, shape, and color of intruders.
A Prairie Native In Decline
The Gunnison’s prairie dog habitat has been reduced by more than 90% of its historical range, and the onslaught on its home territory has not diminished. Oil and gas drilling, urban sprawl, sylvatic plague, and continued shooting and poisoning all threaten this species with extinction.
Natural History
The Gunnison’s prairie dog is one of five species of prairie dog, all of which are native to North America. This ground-dwelling native occurs in the four corners area of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. This beleaguered small mammal is critical to the health of the sagebrush ecosystem. Endangered black-footed ferrets prey almost exclusively on prairie dogs, and use their burrows for shelter. Prairie dogs also provide food for badgers, ferruginous hawks, and golden eagles, and crucial habitat for many other native plants and animals. They play a key role in mixing soil, which results in better forage for grazers like pronghorn, bison, and domestic livestock, and increases soil moisture by allowing precipitation to penetrate deeper into the soil.
Conservation Status
-Candidate Species, Endangered Species Act (central and south-central Colorado and north-central New Mexico)
-Forest Service Sensitive Species
-BLM Sensitive Species in Utah
-New Mexico Species of Greatest Conservation Need
-Utah Species of Concern
-Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy Science Forum Species of Most Concern
Action Taken
Center for Native Ecosystems is continuing to press for protections for this keystone prairie species. In the meantime we seek to protect its remaining habitat in the Southern Rockies, where it is most at risk.
Read More
Petition to List Gunnison’s Prairie Dog as Endangered
US Fish & Wildlife Service Finding on Gunnison’s Prairie Dog
