Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
(Cynomys ludovicianus)

Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae ("shadow tail")
Genus: Cynomys
Species: ludovicianus

Gestation: 1 month
Range: Eastern Montana and southwest North Dakota south to extreme southeast Arizona, New Mexico, and northwest Texas. Habitat is in short grass prairies.
Longevity: The average life span of a black-tailed prairie dog is 7 to 8 years.
Weight: Adult males and females weigh from one to three pounds.

Conservation status:
Black-tailed prairie dogs are listed as near threatened. In Colorado this species is listed as a Federal Candidate Species and as a State special Concern. The black-tailed prairie dog is essential to the short grass prairie ecosystem. Badgers, coyotes, weasels, golden eagles, hawks, swift foxes, and snakes all rely on prairie dogs for food. So dependent is the black-footed ferret that this endangered species cannot survive unless prairie dog populations are maintained. Two of the most influential factors that threaten the prairie dog's population have been habitat fragmentation and the widespread occurrence of plague. These populations have found it increasingly difficult to recover from plague events and repopulate suitable habitat. Habitat fragmentation hampers recovery of colonies by restricting recruitment, and may play a key role in the severity of epidemics. Farmers have also frequently hunted prairie dogs for ruining crops but many are now taking time to maintain prairie dog towns in hopes of improving rangeland. http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profiles/Mammals/BlackTailedPrairieDog.htm

Amazing Facts:
The genus name "Cynomys" comes from the Greek word for "dog mouse," named for it's shrill barking sound. 250 prairie dogs can consume as much grass each day as a 1,000-pound (450 kg) cow! Using their head and shoulders, the rodents displace roughly 480 pounds of dirt when they form a new colony. Their burrow systems are quite elaborate. Tunnels are about 100-150mm wide, 4-34m long, and 1-5m deep.

Sounds:
These animals are very vocal and have nine distinctive calls, including chirps and chatters much like those of a tree squirrel; snarls, used when fighting; squeals of fright; and a shrill bark as a warning of predators to other members of the colony.

Behavior:
Prairie dogs live in elaborate burrow systems called "towns" that are divided up into territorial wards. They are also further divided into family groups or "coteries." The towns can contain as many as several thousand members. Prairie dogs approach each other, touch noses, and turn their heads sideways to touch incisors; this "kissing" is not a part of courtship but a gesture of recognition and identification among ward members. Entrance and exit mounds to the burrow systems are conical in shape to prevent flooding, but are of varying heights to facilitate air flow. Prairie dogs are crepuscular during their summer months - meaning they are active during early morning and evening. During cooler weather they may be active all day but wait out storms in their burrows. These animals habitually consume all vegetation around the burrow entrances and exits to eliminate protective cover/camouflage for potential predators

General Description:
Prairie dogs are tan or light brown (the color of sand or dirt), to blend in with their habitat so raptors do not see them from the sky. Black-tailed prairie dogs are reddish cinnamon in summer and more reddish in the winter. They are chubby and have sharp teeth. They also have a fairly slim, sparsely haired tail with black tip unique among prairie dogs (no other prairie dog has this black tip). They have short, rounded ears and large black eyes.