Cynomys mexicanus 265introduced to North America in the early 1900s. These out-
breaks rapidly eliminate local populations, due in part to the
high densities of this highly social species.
general references: Ceballos, Mellink, et al. 1993;
Hoogland 1995, 1996, 2003b, 2006; J. A. King 1955; S. D.
Miller and Cully 2001; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2004;
Winterrowd et al. 2009.
Cynomys mexicanus (Merriam, 1892)
Mexican Prairie Dog
description: Mexican prairie dogs are a grizzled pinkish
buff on the dorsum; the head is often slightly darker in col-
oration, with the lower muzzle showing patches of buff.
The venter is yellow to buff suff used with dark brown to
black. The tail is long relative to other prairie dogs, and the
distal half is tipped in black. The ears are small and pressed
against the head.
size: Female—T 100 mm ± 8.9 mm; Mass 931 g ± 35 g.
Male—T 105 mm ± 6.6 mm; Mass 1065 g ± 60 g in
August.
Both Sexes—TL 389 mm (380–440 mm).
distribution: C. mexicanus is found in an area of less than
800 km^2 in Coahuila and San Luis Potosí (and perhaps in
Zacatecas and Nuevo León) in northcentral México, at ele-
vations of 1600–2000 m.
geographic variation: None.
conservation: IUCN status—endangered. Population
trend—a slow decline. C. mexicanus is also federally listed as
endangered in México.habitat: Mexican prairie dogs inhabit open plains and pla-
teaus that contain well-drained soil supporting grasses and
herbs; these areas are often fragmented within desert and ag-
ricultural landscapes. C. mexicanus can also be found in cattle
pastures and in fi elds t hat a re deg raded from g ra zi ng by goat s.natural history: C. mexicanus is diurnal. Mexican prairie
dogs are the least studied species in the genus. They do not
hibernate, probably due to the low elevations and low lati-
tude of the sites they inhabit. Nights are spent in burrows
that are often provisioned with clipped vegetation for bed-
ding; burrows have small mounds of excavated soil, in a
circle with a radius of 1–2 m, at their entrance. Mexican prai-
rie dogs are generalist herbivores with a fl exible dietary
strategy. Individuals forage on the ground for a variety ofCynomys mexicanus. Photo courtesy Rene Ortega Arguello,
[email protected].