Usually found in high country, this small dog is simila r in general to the Blacktail Prairie Dog. Tail is white-tipped. Skull has 22 teeth. There are 10 mammae.
Prairie dogs are medium-sized tan squirrels with very short tails.
They are most often seen sitting upright near a burrow in open grassy areas, frequent ly near highways. Other gro und squirrels, which have a generally similar appearance, are smaller and have a pattern of stripes or spots dorsally. Two species are found in our state . The blacktail prairie dog, Cynomys ludovicianus , has a black-tipped tail, occurs in large colonies, and occupies grasslands in the eastern half of the state. The Gunnison prairie dog, C. gunnisoni , has a white-tipped tail, occurs in small groups, and is found in the northwestern third of t he state.