Prairie dogs are more than just cute, chattering creatures of the grasslands—they're complex, social animals with fascinating behaviours and tight-knit communities
What is a prairie dog?
A prairie dog is not a dog or a member of the canine family but rather a rodent and member of the Sciuridae family, which includes squirrels.
Why is a prairie dog called a dog?
Prairie dogs are called dogs because the sound they make is said to sound like a dog's bark
How many species of prairie dogs are there?
In total there are 5 species of prairie dogs;
- Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
- White-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus)
- Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni)
- Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens)
- Mexican prairie dog (Cynomys mexicanus)
How big are prairie dogs?
Prairie dogs are between 30–37cm long (males are larger than females) and weigh between 0.5 – 1.5 kg.
What do prairie dogs look like?
Prairie dogs look a bit like a stout squirrel! Most are light brown and they have short, muscular legs and short ears set back on their heads- a bit like a hamster's.
What do they eat?
Grass stems, herbs, seeds and the leaves of shrubs
Where do prairie dogs live?
They favour grassland and semi-desert; also found in brush at higher elevations of up to 3,600m. Burrows are often sited on slopes to avoid flooding.
Gunnison's prairie dogs have a relatively small range that stretches from the plains of northern Arizona and New Mexico into south-east Utah and south-west Colorado.
Are prairie dogs social?
Prairie dogs are very social, living in colonies called - appropriately - towns
How long do they live for?
Their lifespan is between 3–5 years in the wild.
Do they hibernate?
Prairie dogs enters a period of torpor between late September and March.
How do they breed?
After emergence in spring, females are sexually receptive for just one day. A litter of 4–6 pups is produced after a gestation period of about 30 days.
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