The North American prairie dog species include Cynomys gunnisoni, Cynomys ludovicianus, Cynomys mexicanus, Cynomys parvidens, and Cynomys leucurus. Although they belong to the rodent family and are known as “prairie dogs”, they earned this name due to their distinctive alarm calls that closely resemble a dog’s bark.
These prairie dog species typically inhabit grasslands, with an average body length of about 35 cm, an average tail length of around 9 cm, and an average weight of 1.2 kg. Their bodies are sturdy, with short legs and claws on each toe.
Prairie dogs live in large colonies, each digging an extensive system of interconnected burrows. These burrows are deep within the ground and consist of multiple chambers connected by long tunnels. This underground system creates a “town” that can span more than 100 hectares. A single prairie dog town can house thousands of members. In Texas, there are underground towns that can contain several million prairie dogs.
Their diet mainly consists of grass, but they also consume other plant species. Additionally, prairie dogs eat grasshoppers and various other insects. They are diurnal, foraging for food only during the day. Due to their large populations, prairie dogs can cause significant damage to pastures used for livestock grazing.
In cold seasons, they hibernate from October or November until the end of March the following year.
The breeding season for prairie dogs lasts from late March through April. After a gestation period of about four weeks, the female gives birth to 2-10 pups. The pups remain in the burrow until they are about one month old. After being weaned at eight weeks, the young prairie dogs disperse to the outskirts of their underground “town.”
Prairie dogs are distributed across North America, particularly abundant in states like Colorado, New Mexico, Montana, Texas, Wyoming, and Utah. In the wild, North American prairie dogs often fall prey to eagles, foxes, and coyotes.
Under human care, their lifespan is approximately eight years.
