Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)

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The Black-Tailed Prairie Dog

The Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), also known as the common prairie dog, are only found in North America. They are actually rodents, not canine as the name would suggest, and are so-named because of a yipping or barking sound that they make when in danger. In past years, the population of prairie dogs has decreased as they have been considered pests and ruthlessly hunted and killed. They dig and destroy fields and compete for food with livestock, but they also keep brush and grass trimmed and keep it from encroaching upon fields.

Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs are found from southern Canada to northern Mexico. They are found in dry areas, on prairies and grasslands, usually far from a source of water. They live underground in extensive burrows, usually in groups consisting of one or two males and five or six females with their pups. These females are usually closely related. These burrows are all grouped together and make up towns that may house hundreds of the little rodents. The entrances to the burrows are very conspicuous as they are mounded, which gives the prairie dogs a higher vantage point to use when keeping a lookout for predators. They are active most often in the morning and evening and spend much of the day underground. They hibernate in the winter, living off of stored fat.

Did You Know? The largest prairie dog town ever recorded was home to approximately 400 million of the small animals, and it measured about 190 miles (400 km) long and 90 miles (160 km) wide!

Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs are medium-sized rodents, growing to reach an average length of 11-13 inches (28-33 cm), and the females are slightly smaller than the males. Prairie dogs are covered in soft, reddish-brown fur that doesn’t have any specific identifying markings. The underbelly and the bottom of the face are a creamy white color. The animal has a relatively short tail that is, as the name implies, tipped with black. There are very small, round ears that are almost invisible, hidden in the thick fur of the head and neck.

Prairie dogs are essentially vegetarians, although they have been noted to eat a small amount of insects, including grasshoppers, worms, and beetles. A large amount of green, leafy plants is important as Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs are never found near water and must get their needed moisture through the food that they eat. It is estimated that 32 prairie dogs can consume as much greenery as a large sheep. They eat grasses, roots, plant stems, weeds, and leaves. When they create and expand their burrows, the soil that is kicked up onto the ground above is prime for a crop of quick-growing weeds that are quickly consumed by the prairie dog community.

Reproductive age for the female Black-Tailed Prairie Dog usually happens during their first year, but males usually wait until they are two years of age. The typical gestation period is approximately 30 days, and litters numbering anywhere between two to eight babies are born. The young rodents are born hairless and blind, and their eyes don’t typically open until they are at least 33-37 days old, at which time they are able to move around easily and can start eating solid food. They are hidden in the burrows until they are about six weeks of age, and then they are weaned shortly after. They will stay with their family only for another month and then will separate, roaming to find a new home.

Prairie dogs are very social and will often be seen grooming one another, playing, and communicating with their barks and yips. All members of the burrow, which is also known as a coterie, share in defending their territory, gathering food, and caring for the young. However, this peaceful existence is shattered during times of breeding, when the females become fiercely competitive. When they are pregnant and nursing, they will often fight and will even go so far to raid each others’ nests, killing all the babies that are resting there. Because of this, a nursing mother must be on constant watch for other females. This passes, though, and the prairie dogs become a tight-knit, peaceful community again, and young prairie dogs will often be seen nesting with a female that is not its mother in perfect safety.

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Bibliography:
Prairie Dog. Encarta Encyclopedia, © 2000.
black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus). Accessed on 08/24/04 at http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/cynoludo.htm.
ADW: Cynomys ludovicianus: Information. Accessed on 08/24/04 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Cynomys_ludovicianus.html.
Cynomys ludovicianus. Accessed on 08/24/04 at http://www.vivanatura.org/Cynomys%20ludovicianus.html.