Gunnison's prairie dog individuals of the prairie dog populations. Gunnison's prairie dog Gunnison's prairie dog ("Cynomys gunnisoni") is one of five species of the 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 37 centimeters) in length and have tails that measure 1.25 to 2.25 inches (3 to 6 centimeters). This species weighs from 1.5 to 2.5 lbs (0.5 to 1 kg). On average,
Black-tailed prairie dog activities keep plant development in a suppressed vegetative state with higher nutritional qualities, herbivores, including red deer ("Cervus elaphus"), American bison, pronghorn ("Antilocapra americana"), and domestic cattle often prefer foraging in black-tailed prairie dog colonies. Animals that depend on herbaceous cover in sagebrush habitat, such as mule deer ("Odocoileus hemionus") and sage grouse ("Centrocercus" spp.), may be deterred by the decreased vegetative cover on black-tailed prairie dog colonies. For a list of vertebrate species associated with black-tailed prairie dog colonies, see. Biodiversity in shortgrass prairies may be at risk due to the reductions in distribution and occurrence of black-tailed prairie