After more than a year of studying the status of the black-tailed prairie dog, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), has determined that the species "warrants listing under the Endangered Species Act." USFWS began studying this species of prairie dog in July 1998, when it received a petition from the National Wildlife Federation requesting that these animals be listed as a threatened species throughout its range.
The black-tailed prairie dog will not be listed under the Endangered Species Act immediately, however, as the USFWS states that "there are other species also awaiting listing that are in greater need of protection...at this time."