Black-tailed Prairie Dog

Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) is in the Squirrels family (Sciuridae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 16,398 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in June.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: seasonal. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph Black-tailed Prairie Dog: observations by month (U.S.)

About Black-tailed Prairie Dog

The black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), is a rodent of the family Sciuridae found in the Great Plains of North America from about the United States-Canada border to the United States-Mexico border. Unlike some other prairie dogs, these animals do not truly hibernate. The black-tailed prairie dog can be seen above ground in midwinter. A black-tailed prairie dog town in Texas was reported to cover 25,000 sq mi (64,000 km2) and included 400,000,000 individuals. Prior to habitat destruction, this...From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Black-tailed Prairie Dog by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related mammals (Squirrels)

Eastern Gray SquirrelSciurus carolinensis

Eastern Fox SquirrelSciurus niger

Eastern ChipmunkTamias striatus

California Ground SquirrelOtospermophilus beecheyi

GroundhogMarmota monax

American Red SquirrelTamiasciurus hudsonicus

Common Golden-mantled Ground SquirrelCallospermophilus lateralis

Western Gray SquirrelSciurus griseus

Photography tips

• Keep a legal and safe distance: 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from other large animals in national parks.
• Dawn and dusk are peak activity times for most mammals.
• Use your car as a blind on wildlife drives.

FAQ