Canyon Country Animals
Mammals: Prairie Dog
Scientific Name: Cynomys ludovicianus
Prairie dogs look like fat, yellowish brown, furry ground squirrels. They live in "town" they create by burrowing deep into the ground. Prairie dogs eat mostly grasses and roots, but they served as dinner for a variety of other animals.
The Blacktail Prairie Dog is about the size of a large guinea pig, ranging in weight from two to three pounds. The Blacktail Prairie Dog has a blacked-tipped tail, the whitetail has a white-tipped tail. Both species live in large colonies.
Photos
Notes
- The main photo on this page was taken at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota in September of 2001.
- We have seen this little guys just about everywhere. We have not encountered them very often while out hiking, but we have seen many of their colonies off the sides of the road and in open fields. There is an excellent colony protected at Wind Cave National Park, where you can get up close to some of the inhabitants of the Prairie Dog town.
Related Sites
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