Head to head
Utah Prairie Dog vs Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
Utah Prairie Dog
VS Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
The Utah prairie dog and black-tailed prairie dog both live in burrow towns and bark alarm calls, but one survives only in a small part of southwestern Utah while the other ranges across the prairies of the central United States.
| Utah Prairie Dog | Black-Tailed Prairie Dog | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Cynomys parvidens | Cynomys ludovicianus |
| Size | The smallest of the five prairie dog species | Larger than the Utah prairie dog |
| Range | A limited area of southwestern Utah | Short and mixed-grass prairie across the central United States and adjacent parts of Canada and Mexico |
| Winter | Hibernates through the coldest months | Usually remains active in winter |
| Social life | Lives in colonies called towns of linked burrows, with sentinels that bark alarm calls | Lives in towns divided into family units called coteries, whose members groom, share burrows, and watch for predators |
| Diet | Mainly grasses and forbs, along with some seeds and insects | Mainly grasses and other low-growing prairie plants, occasionally insects |
| Main threats | Plague, habitat loss to farming and development, and past poisoning | Historic poisoning and eradication campaigns, which cut numbers and range substantially |
| Conservation status | Endangered, and protected as threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act | Least Concern, with a decreasing population |
Utah Prairie Dog vs Black-Tailed Prairie Dog: common questions
Which prairie dog is the smallest?
The Utah prairie dog, which is the smallest of the five species of prairie dog.
Which prairie dog hibernates?
The Utah prairie dog hibernates through the coldest months, while the black-tailed prairie dog usually remains active in winter.
Where do the Utah and black-tailed prairie dogs live?
The Utah prairie dog lives only in a limited area of southwestern Utah, while the black-tailed prairie dog lives on short and mixed-grass prairie across the central United States and adjacent parts of Canada and Mexico.