White-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys leucurus)

White-tailed Prairie Dog
Cynomys leucurus

The White-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys leucurus) occurs in parts of Utah, Colorado and Wyoming. It is somewhat less colonial than its relative, the more common and widespread Black-tailed Prairie Dog. As the name implies, the animals have a white tipped tail. The animal at the right was barking a warning while the one in the 3rd shot is peering out from its burrow and another is foraging in some grass in the 2nd shot. The animals in the top 3 shots on this page were photographed near Vernal, Uintah Co., Utah in June, 2001, with a Canon EOS 3 and EF 500 mm F/4 L IS lens on Fuji Velvia.


The White-tailed Prairie Dog images in the next 39 shots were all taken in south central Wyoming in Sweetwater Co., during July and August 2008. Most images were taken with a Canon EOS 1D Mark III and an EF 500mm F/4 L IS lens but a number of shots were also taken with a Canon EOS 40D and an EF 70-200 mm F/2.8 L IS lens.

The animal in the image shown here is vocalizing.
The animal in the image shown here is vocalizing.
The prairie dog shown here is carrying material to its burrow.
A few shots at right show a White-tailed Prairie Dog feeding on the sage vegetation which is common all over the area.


The animal in the next 3 shots at right is vocalizing. They make a barking sound similar to the voice of the Black-tailed Prairie Dog.



Another barking prairie dog.





The interaction between animals can be fun to watch. In the next several images two animals engaged in a little spat which may have been part of courtship.















Next will be some close ups of calling prairie dogs as well as a few shots of animals standing up to get a better view of their surroundings.