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General information about the Black-Tailed Prairie DogCynomys ludovicianus Description: A close cousin of the ground squirrel, the Black-tailed Prairie Dog is a heavy-bodied rodent with a black-tipped tail. Prairie dogs have large eyes, short tails and a brownish-tan pelage. A rather large, chunky, ground-dwelling squirrel with upperparts pinkish cinnamon mixed with buff; tail sparsely haired, tipped with black, and about one-fifth of total length; eyes large; ears short and rounded. The term "prairie dog" is an unfortunate misnomer because the animal is not even remotely related to a dog. It is a ground squirrel with a superficial resemblance to a small, fat pup. Prairie dogs are very social animals. They live as a group in prairie dog "towns" which range from one to over 1,000 acres. These towns are subdivided into wards that are arranged like counties within a state. Wards are further subdivided into distinct social units called coteries. A coterie usually consists of a single adult male, one to four adult females, and any offspring under two years of age. Movement between wards is uncommon; however, among family members, prairie dogs greet each other with bared teeth with which they "kiss" as a form of recognition. Prairie dogs are strictly diurnal animals. They are most active during the cool hours of the day, when they engage in social activities such as visiting and grooming each other as well as feeding on grasses and herbs. When prairie dogs are out, to see a sentry who perches on the volcano-like ring that surrounds the burrow. Should a predator or any other danger become evident, the sentry will bark out a warning after which the community will dive into their burrows and wait for the "all clear" call before venturing out again. Their homes consist of deep burrows 7-10 cm in diameter. The entrances are funnel-shaped and usually descend at a steep angle for 2-5 m before leveling off. The lower part extended blind side tunnels and nest chambers. The main entrances are made conspicuous by the mounds and parapets constructed around them. These craterlike "dikes" are often 30 cm or more in height and doubtless serve to keep flash floods from inundating the burrows and also as lookout points for the animals. Those who have hunted prairie dogs know how effective the craters are, both as vantage points and as retreats for the animals. Female prairie dogs produce only one litter of approximately four to five young per year in March or April. At birth the youngsters are blind and hairless and weigh about 15 g. At 13 days fine hair covers the cheeks, nose and parts of the body; the weight is then about 40 g. At 26 days, the body is well-haired and they can crawl awkwardly. Their eyes open at the age of 33-37 days, at which time the young squirrels are able to walk, run, eat green food, and "bark." They first appear above ground when about 6 weeks of age and are weaned shortly after that. The family unit remains intact for almost another month, but the ties are gradually broken and the family disperses. Sexual maturity is reached in the second year.. The young males of the family usually move away before their first breeding season while the females may spend their entire lives in their original coterie. Female prairie dogs may live up to eight years of age while male prairie dogs usually live to be no more than five years of age. Habitat and Distribution: Prairie dogs are native to short-grass prairie habitats of western North America where they play an important role in the prairie ecosystem. They serve as a food source for many predators and leave vacant burrows for the Burrowing Owl, the Black-footed Ferret, the Texas Horned Lizard, rabbits, hares and even rattlesnakes. They avoid heavy brush and tall grass areas due to the reduced visibility these habitats impose. In Texas, they may be found in western portions of the state and in the Panhandle. Huge prairie dog towns, such as one that covered 25,000 square miles and supported a population of approximately 400 million prairie dogs, once were reported from Texas. Today less than one percent of the prairie dog population and habitat remain. These squirrels have been displaced by livestock and farming interests for the past 50 years or more. Consequently, their former range and numbers have been considerably reduced. That large concentrations of prairie dogs can damage cultivated crops or compete seriously with livestock cannot be questioned, but the desirability of eliminating them entirely from rangelands has not been satisfactorily demonstrated. Stockmen in certain parts of Texas, for example, claim that removal of prairie dogs has had some direct association with the undesirable spread of brush. This has had detrimental effects on the livestock industry which far outweighs the damage prairie dogs might do.
More Black Tailed Prairie Dog pages: Black-Tailed Prairie Dog - Free Wildlife Screensaver Memory Matching Game with Prairie Dog Photos Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs At Memphis Zoo Black Tailed Prairie Dogs Drag Puzzles
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