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SPECIES PROFILE

Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)

Cynomys

IUCN STATUS

Least Concern

Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) — Great Plains from southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba south to Texas; Canadian range limited to extreme southern SK

CONSERVATION STATUS

Least Concern

CLASS

Mammalia

GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE

Great Plains from southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba south to Texas; Canadian range limited to extreme southern SK

DIET

Herbivore

HABITAT

Short-grass and mixed-grass prairie; colonial species requiring large continuous grassland tracts

🔬 Classification

PHYLUM

Chordata

CLASS

Mammalia

ORDER

Rodentia

FAMILY

Sciuridae

GENUS

Cynomys

📋 Description

SIZE

28–35 cm body length; 700–1,400 g

COLORATION

Tan to light brown above; whitish below; short black-tipped tail distinctive

ADAPTATIONS

Complex alarm calls that describe an approaching predator's colour, size, and speed — one of the most sophisticated animal communication systems known

🌿 Ecology

HABITAT

Short-grass and mixed-grass prairie; colonial species requiring large continuous grassland tracts

DIET

Herbivore

GEOGRAPHIC RANGE

Great Plains from southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba south to Texas; Canadian range limited to extreme southern SK

REPRODUCTION

Colonial breeders; single litter of 3–5 pups in spring; juveniles disperse in their first summer

DIET DETAILS

Grasses, forbs, roots, and occasionally insects; clips vegetation near burrow entrances to improve sightlines

⚠️ Threats & Conservation

PRIMARY THREATS

Plague causing sudden colony die-offs; agricultural poisoning programs; habitat conversion to cropland

💡 Interesting Facts

1

Prairie dogs are ecosystem engineers — their burrows provide shelter for over 200 species including Burrowing Owls, Black-footed Ferrets, and rattlesnakes.

2

Grasslands National Park's prairie dog town is one of the last remaining in Canada and is actively managed to prevent plague outbreaks.

🔭 Sighting Guide

📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT

Grasslands National Park West Block near Val Marie, SK, has the largest accessible prairie dog town in Canada

Frenchman River Valley within Grasslands National Park, SK, offers additional prairie dog colonies

Killdeer Badlands near Coronach, SK, has scattered prairie dog colonies in native short-grass habitat

🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT

Spring and summer. Visit the prairie dog town at Grasslands National Park near Val Marie in the morning from May to August.

🎯 SIGHTING TIPS

May to August for most active surface behaviour; morning and late afternoon when temperatures are moderate; pups emerge in May.