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Meet the AnimalsBlack-tailed Prairie Dog 
The black-tailed prairie dog is the most common type of prairie dog. If you happen to live in a prairie town, you might see small colonies of them living in otherwise empty lots. Historically, black-tailed prairie dogs were one of the most prominent residents of short- and mixed-grass prairies in North America. But a combination of factors — including the conversion of grassland to towns and farms, deliberate poisoning and hunting, and epidemics of sylvatic plague — have reduced the numbers of these small mammals to perhaps one percent of their former population. The decline in numbers of prairie dogs has affected many other species as well. Prairie dogs are a kind of keystone species — other animals depend on their existence. Some animals, such as coyotes and hawks, depend on prairie dogs for food. Others, such as burrowing owls, use the abandoned prairie dog tunnels for homes. As prairie dog populations have declined, so have the numbers of these other species. Prairie dogs are social creatures, which is why they develop such large colonies. Since many other animals view them as food, prairie dogs are always aware of their surroundings, with some dogs keeping watch while others eat and rest. They gather in large colonies, but within those colonies they have special bonds with those in the burrows closer to them, called "wards". Prairie dogs will sniff each other upon meeting, and nuzzle or kiss those they are close to. Three-quarters of the prairie dog's diet is made up of grasses; the rest is broad-leaved plants of different kinds. Prairie dogs reach sexual maturity their first winter, and have one litter of four to six pups per year. Photo by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Return to Meet the Animals |
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