Black-Tailed Prairie Dog

ANIMAL:
Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianus

Type of Animal:
Squirrel

Habitat:
Grasslands, shortgrass prairie, mixed-grass prairie, mid-grass prairie, sagebrush steppe, plains, areas near rivers/creeks, benches/terraces adjacent to floodplains/creeks/rivers, flat areas, rolling hills, badlands, playa lake slopes/surrounding areas, areas near reservoirs, areas near cattle salting grounds, sagebrush grassland, cattle trail/road areas, areas near river flats, coulee bottomlands w/ sagebrush/greasewood/prickly pear, agricultural areas, sparsely vegetated shrub-short grassland areas dominated by western wheatgrass/blue grama/sagebrush, sand prairie, saltbush shrubland, desert, savanna

Location(s):
Canada: S Saskatchewan/S Alberta, US: Montana, Wyoming, Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, W Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona; Mexico: parts of Chihuahua/Sonora, Mexico.

Appearance:
Tan to light brown compact-bodied rodents w/ small ears, short black tipped tails, whitish/buff-white belly, broad head

Food/Diet:
Forbs, flowering plants, grasses, weeds, herbs, hay, flowers, vegetables, greens, leaves, shrubs, fruit, seeds, stems, roots, tender shoots, sedges, peanut butter, berries, insects, insect larvae, burrowing owl eggs/new hatchlings

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding in zoos & wildlife centers. Reintroductions into parts of range. Protection of important prairie dog habitat. Reduction in conflicts between prairie dogs and people.

Lifestyle:
Towns range from 400-100,000 members (larger towns sometimes called cities & one city in Texas had around 400 million prairie dogs covering around 25,000 sq mi). Towns divided into wards-wards have 2-10 coteries. Each coterie consists of 1-2 males (if more than 1 male, they’re related) & 1-18 females plus any offspring. Wards can range from 4-190 adults. 

Additional Info:

Called:
Male: Boar/Buck/Dog
Female: Sow/Bitch/Doe
Young: Pup
Group: Town/City/Colony/Coterie/Ward

Weight:
Male: 1.87-3.69 lbs
Female: 1.55-2.31 lbs
Young: 2 oz

Gestation:
5 weeks

Life Span:
3-4 years in wild, 7-8 years in captivity

Height:
Male: 1.17-1.36 ft
Female: 1.15-1.23 ft

Body Length:
Male: 1.17-1.36 ft
Female: 1.15-1.23 ft

Tail Length:
3-4 in, same for both sexes

Fun Fact(s):
Main predators are mustelids, canids, felids, raptors, snakes, ravens, & bears. 

Each coterie fiercely defends territory of 1/2-1 acre in size (fights between neighbors sometimes result in death). Wards may range from 0.5-10 acres. Towns range from 24-10,000 acres.

Towns most recognizable by mounds/holes at burrow entrances. These holes/mounds are 1-3 ft in diameter. 7-15 ft deep burrows connected by tunnels consisting of many chambers. Tunnels 3-6 ft below surface, being about 15 ft long. Burrows often have 2 entrances. Burrows have defined nurseries/latrines/sleeping quarters.

Prairie dog towns/burrow systems don’t just support prairie dogs but also other small mammals, snakes, & ground-dwelling birds, among many others. 

While common, before the 1800s, there may have been over a billion prairie dogs. Populations plummeted in the 1800s & 1900s due to poisoning, persecution, & habitat alteration. Seen as pests since they feed on much of the same food livestock feed on & livestock can injure themselves if they step in prairie dog holes (especially broken legs).

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