Mammals Active during the day

Gunnison's Prairie Dog

Cynomys gunnisoni

iNaturalist Wikipedia

Meet the most sophisticated linguist of the American Southwest. The Gunnison's Prairie Dog is a social architect of the high-altitude plains, known for its complex communication and iconic burrowing lifestyle.

0 Sightings

0 Habitats

Quick Identification

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Size

Length 30–37 cm (12–15 inches); Weight 650–1,200 g (1.4–2.6 lbs)

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Colors

Yellowish-buff coat grizzled with black/brown; pale white-to-buff underbelly; tail has a distinct grayish-white tip

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Key Features

Grayish-white tipped tail
Yellow-cinnamon fur with dark-tipped hairs
Stocky, squirrel-like body
High-pitched complex alarm calls

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active during the day

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Peak hours 8 AM - 11 AM and 3 PM - 6 PM

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Season April-September

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Diet Primarily herbivorous, focusing on grasses, sedges, and forbs. They are known to eat seeds and occasionally insects like grasshoppers during the summer months.

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Habitat High-altitude grasslands, mountain meadows, and semi-arid shrub-steppes.

public Geographic range

Where Does the Gunnison's Prairie Dog Live?

Native to the high plateaus and mountain valleys of the North American Southwest. Their core range is strictly limited to the Four Corners region, spanning across parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. While they are not an introduced species elsewhere, their distribution within this regional pocket is patchy, often dictated by the availability of suitable soil for deep burrowing.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

1 Countries

400K km² Range

Least Concern Conservation

US United States

Elevation range

0 m1,000 m2,000 m4,000 m

1,800 m – 3,700 m

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iNaturalist / Verified observation data

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Behavior

Gunnison's Prairie Dogs are highly social rodents that live in "towns" or colonies, though their social structures are slightly less rigid than their black-tailed cousins. They are famously vocal, possessing one of the most sophisticated languages in the animal kingdom; their alarm calls can describe specific predators, including their size, color, and speed. Most of their day is spent foraging or performing sentry duty on dirt mounds.

Unlike some prairie dog species, Gunnison's are true hibernators. They retreat to their deep burrow systems in late autumn and don't emerge until the snow begins to melt in early spring. While they generally avoid humans, they can become accustomed to presence in park settings, though they remain wary and will dive into burrows at the first sign of a threat.

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Camera Tips

To capture the best footage of Gunnison's Prairie Dogs, position your camera 12 to 18 inches off the ground. Aim it toward a fresh mound with active "tailings" (loose dirt), as this indicates a main entrance currently in use. A wide-angle lens is ideal because these rodents are social and you’ll likely capture multiple individuals interacting or performing their signature "jump-yip" display.

Lighting is your best friend with this species. Because they are strictly diurnal, early morning or late afternoon sun provides a warm glow on their buff-colored fur and reduces the harsh shadows found in open grasslands at noon. Avoid placing the camera directly in the path of the burrow entrance to prevent it from being buried in dirt as they excavate, and ensure the PIR sensor is sensitive enough to trigger on small movements.

While baiting isn't usually necessary if you find an active town, a handful of native sunflower seeds or fresh greens placed near a sentinel mound can encourage them to linger in the frame. Be mindful of the season; if you're setting up between October and March, you likely won't see any activity at all due to their deep hibernation cycle. High-speed video settings are recommended to catch the rapid flicking of their tails and their lightning-fast retreats into the earth.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Gunnison's Prairie Dog.

Black-tailed Prairie Dog

Features a prominent black-tipped tail and lives at much lower elevations in the Great Plains.

White-tailed Prairie Dog

Has a pure white tail tip and a slightly larger body; ranges further north into Wyoming and Montana.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Gunnison's Prairie Dogs are diurnal, meaning they are strictly active during daylight hours. You will find them most active during the mid-morning and late afternoon when temperatures are moderate. They typically retreat into their burrows during the hottest part of the summer day and remain underground throughout the night.

Attracting them is only possible if you live within their specific Four Corners range and have open, grassy acreage. Maintaining native shortgrass species and providing a clear line of sight—which makes them feel safe from predators—is the best way to encourage them. However, they are sensitive to soil compaction and domestic pets.

Their diet is almost entirely plant-based, consisting of native grasses, saltbush, and various flowering forbs. They are opportunistic and will occasionally supplement their diet with protein-rich insects like grasshoppers or beetles, especially during the breeding season.

They are less common in dense suburban environments than the Black-tailed Prairie Dog, but they can be found on the edges of mountain towns, golf courses, and undeveloped parklands within the Four Corners region. They require undisturbed soil to maintain their complex underground tunnel systems.

The easiest way to identify a Gunnison's Prairie Dog is by its tail; it has a grayish-white tip, unlike the Black-tailed Prairie Dog which has a distinct black tip. They are also generally smaller and found at much higher elevations (up to 12,000 feet) than other species.

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