Utah Prairie Dog
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| ?Utah Prairie Dog Conservation status: Conservation dependent (LR/cd) |
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| Cynomys parvidens Allen, 1905 |
The Utah Prairie Dog (Cynomys parvidens) is the smallest species of prairie dog, a member of the squirrel family of rodents native to the south central steppes of the US state of Utah.
Like all prairie dogs, the Utah Prairie Dog is an active forager, eating a wide array of vegetation including grasses, flowers, and seeds. They build extensive "towns" of underground tunnels and chambers, each town composed of a population of members of an extended prairie dog family. Many other species make use of their burrows, including owls, snakes, and other rodents.
[edit] Conservation Status
The species appears in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with a status of lower risk/conservation dependent, last assessed in 2000[1].
The Utah Prairie Dog is listed as a threatened species by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. It was once listed as an endangered species. In 1972, studies estimated a population of 3,300 Utah Prairie Dogs in 37 colonies. Studies by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Spring 2004 reported 4,022 Utah Prairie Dogs, a number believed to reflect half of the total current population.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/6090/summ
- ^ US Fish and Wildlife Service: Utah Prairie Dog
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