Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs are one of five prairie dog species. Prairie dogs are not dogs; they are rodents and part of the squirrel family. They were given the name ‘prairie dog’ from their bark-like calls. Prairie dogs are native to flat grasslands or plateaus of North America. They have long sharp claws on their front feet for digging burrows.
Prairie dogs are a very social species and live in large community underground burrow systems called ‘towns’, which often have separate chambers for sleeping, rearing pups and even designated toilet areas. These burrows are filled with multiple prairie dog families, called ‘coteries. In 1900, a prairie dog town the size of Maryland state was discovered in Texas, and it is believed that it held around 400 million prairie dogs! They are herbivores, feeding mostly off grasses, roots and other leafy plants. Their average lifespan is approximately 5 years.
