Prarie Dog

Description:

Prairie dogs (genus Cynomys) are burrowing rodents native to the grasslands of North America. The five different species of prairie dogs are: black-tailed, white-tailed, Gunnison's, Utah and Mexican prairie dogs. They are a type of ground squirrel, found in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In Mexico, prairie dogs are primarily found in the northern states which are the southern end of the great plains: northeastern Sonora, north and northeastern Chihuahua, northern Coahuila, northern Nuevo León, and northern Tamaulipas. In the U.S., they range primarily to the west of the Mississippi River, though they have also been introduced in a few eastern locales. They are herbivorous.On average, these stout-bodied rodents will grow to be between 30 and 40 centimetres (12 and 16 in) long, including the short tail and weigh between 0.5 and 1.5 kilograms (1 and 3 lb). Sexual dimorphism in body mass in the prairie dog varies 105 to 136% between the sexes. Among the species, black-tailed prairie dogs tend to be the least sexually dimorphic, and white-tailed prairie dogs tend to be the most sexually dimorphic. Sexual dimorphism peaks during weaning when the females lose weight and the males start eating more, and is at its lowest when the females are pregnant, which is also when the males are tired from breeding.

Habitat:

Prairie dogs mainly live in altitudes ranging from 2,000-10,000 ft above sea level.[7] The areas in which they live can get as warm as 100°F in the summer and as cold as -35°F in the winter.[

Notes:

Prairie dogs live in large colonies or "towns" – collections of prairie dog families that can span hundreds of acres. The prairie dog family groups are the most basic units of its society. Members of a family group inhabit the same territory. Family groups of black-tailed and Mexican prairie dogs are called "coteries", while "clans" are used to describe family groups of white-tailed, Gunnison’s and Utah prairie dogs. Although these two family groups are similar, coteries tend to be more closely knit than clans.[9] Members of a family group interact through oral contact or "kissing" and grooming one another.[7][8] They do not perform these behaviors with prairie dogs from other family groups.[8] Prairie dogs showing affection A prairie dog town may contain 15-26 family groups.[8] There may also be subgroups within a town, called "wards", which are separated by a physical barrier. Family groups exist within these wards. Most prairie dog family groups are made up of one adult breeding male, two to three adult females and one to two male offspring and one to two female offspring. Females remain in their natal groups for life and are thus the source of stability in the groups This Colony resides at a local Park