gunnisoni

Gunnisoni is a Latinized species epithet used in the scientific names of organisms to honor the American explorer John Williams Gunnison. In taxonomic practice, gunnisoni functions as the masculine singular adjective appended to a genus name to form a species designation. The epithet is not tied to a single taxon and appears in multiple lineages where a species is named after Gunnison.

The best-known use is Cynomys gunnisoni, commonly called Gunnison's prairie dog. This rodent is native to the western United States, with populations found in portions of Colorado, Utah, and northern New Mexico, and adjacent areas. Gunnison's prairie dogs live in clustered colonies that share extensive burrow systems. They are herbivorous, feeding mainly on grasses and forbs, and have a social structure that includes coordinated alarm calls and collective defense of colonies. Their ecological role as a “keystone” species supports a variety of other wildlife that depend on burrows and the prairie-dog–grassland ecosystem.

Conservation considerations for species bearing the gunnisoni epithet can include habitat alteration and disease pressures that affect populations in certain regions. Prairie-dog populations in some areas have experienced declines due to factors such as habitat loss and disease, while others remain locally common.

In summary, gunnisoni is a patronymic taxonomic epithet used to honor John W. Gunnison, most prominently represented by Cynomys gunnisoni, Gunnison's prairie dog, a social, burrow-dwelling rodent of the western United States. The epithet’s broader use across taxa reflects its role in commemorating Gunnison in scientific naming.