Gunnison's Prairie Dog

About the Gunnison's Prairie Dog

Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni) is one of five species of prairie dog. This species belongs to the squirrel family of rodents, and are predominantly related to the North American and Eurasian ground squirrels. Gunnison's prairie dogs are primarily distributed in the Four Corners region of the United States.

Gunnison's prairie dogs are 12 to 14 inches (30 to 36 cm) in length and have tails that measure 1.25 to 2.25 inches (3.2 to 5.7 cm). This species weighs from 1.5 to 2.5 lb (0.68 to 1.13 kg). On average, males are larger in size than females. Gunnison's prairie dogs have 22 teeth and five pairs of mammary glands.

The Gunnison's prairie dog, C. gunnisoni, is the only prairie dog species that has 40 chromosomes. The other four species — black-tailed, white-tailed, Utah, and Mexican prairie dogs — have 50 chromosomes. Their coats are yellow-toned buff merged with black-colored hairs. The upper head, sides of the cheek, and eyebrows are distinctly darker than the rest of the body. Their tails are mostly white with grayish-white ends, and the tips are light gray.

The Gunnison's prairie dogs go through two yearly periodic moults during spring and fall. In spring... Wikipedia →