The white-tailed prairie dog forms the cornerstone of the prairie ecosystem - at least nine other species depend on it for food or shelter.
An Imperiled Prairie Native
The white-tailed prairie dog is suffering severe declines, having vanished from 92% of its historical habitat, and is headed for extinction without assertive and committed conservation action. Sylvatic plague, a disease accidentally introduced to North America around 1900, is now present throughout the range of the white-tailed prairie dog. Prairie dogs are extremely susceptible to this disease, and the white-tailed prairie dog has suffered large-scale population declines as a result. Also, like its Great Plains cousin the black-tailed prairie dog, the white-tailed prairie dog has suffered from decades of human persecution, including recreational target shooting and aggressive poisoning efforts by the federal government and private citizen alike. Oil and gas drilling, suburban sprawl, and conversion of the land to agriculture have also devastated prairie dog habitat.
Natural History
The white-tailed prairie dog is found in the sagebrush landscape of central and western Wyoming, northwestern Colorado, northeastern Utah, and south-central Montana. 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
-Forest Service Sensitive Species
-BLM Sensitive Species in Montana, Utah, Colorado, and Wyoming
-Montana Species of Concern
-Utah Species of Concern
-Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy Science Forum Species of Most Concern (Colorado)
Action Taken
Center for Native Ecosystems is leading a coalition of six conservation groups, along with author Terry Tempest Williams, in seeking protection for the imperiled white-tailed prairie dog and its habitat.
Read our media release on the negative 12 month finding
U.S Fish and Wildlife Service 12 Month Finding on White-Tailed Prairie Dog
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 90 Day Finding on White-tailed Prairie Dog
Petition to List White-tailed Prairie Dog as Endangered or Threatened
White-Tailed Prairie Dog Areas of Critical Environmental Concern Map
Nomination for Designated Areas of Critical Environmental Concern for White-tailed Prairie Dog
Learn More
The Endangered Prairie Dog (news video – Assignment Earth)
