Utah Prairie Dog (Cynomys parvidens)

Utah Prairie Dog, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Photograph by James Phelps . Some rights reserved. (view image details)

Utah Prairie Dog | Cynomys parvidens photo

Utah Prairie Dog, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Photograph by James Phelps . Some rights reserved. (view image details)

UTAH PRAIRIE DOG FACTS

Description
The Utah Prairie dog is an endangered species protected by law. It is the smallest of all the prairie dogs. The body is cinnamon brown in color with some darker brown markings. The tail is almost all white. There are dark brown spots around the eyes and the upper lip and chin are white. They form colonies and dig extensive burrow systems underground.

Size
Total length: 30cm - 36cm. Tail length: 3cm - 6cm.

Environment
well-drained grassland with low vegetation and deep soil for digging burrows

Food
flowers, seeds, grasses, also some insects such as cicadas

Breeding
A litter of 3 - 4 young are born in April after a gestation period of about 30 days.

Range
restricted to south west of Utah I the United States

Notes
Populations of Utah Prairie Dog has been reduced due to diseases, poisoning, droughts, and habitat alterations for cultivation and grazing

Conservation Status
LR|cd

Classification

Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Genus:	Cynomys
Species:	parvidens
Common Name:	Utah Prairie Dog

Relatives in same Genus
White-tailed Prairie Dog (C. leucurus)
Black-tailed Prairie Dog (C. ludovicianus)

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