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Prairie dogs aren’t dogs at all but are actually a species of ground squirrels. They are cousins of the squirrels we find in our backyards. Prairie dogs live in big social groups called prairie ...
Prairie dog tunnel systems channel rainwater into the water table, which prevents runoff and erosion, and can also change the composition of the soil in a region by reversing soil compaction that can result from cattle grazing. Prairie dog burrows are 5–10 m (16–33 ft) long and 2–3 m (6.6–9.8 ft) below the ground. [20]
The black-tailed prairie dog can be seen above ground in midwinter. A black-tailed prairie dog town in Texas was reported to cover 25,000 sq mi (64,000 km 2) and included 400,000,000 individuals. [4] Prior to habitat destruction, the species may have been the most abundant prairie dog in central North America.
Ground squirrels are rodents of the squirrel family that generally live on the ground or in burrows, rather than in trees like the tree squirrels.The term is most often used for the medium-sized ground squirrels, as the larger ones are more commonly known as marmots (genus Marmota) or prairie dogs, while the smaller and less bushy-tailed ground squirrels tend to be known as chipmunks (genus ...
The presence of the prairie dogs have been a concern for decades. In 1985, as developers prepared to bulldoze dozens of acres to make way for new homes, the prairie dog fields had already become a ...
Prairie dogs are gaining popularity as pets, but before you embark on getting your own, keep in mind that the creatures to not have a long history of domestication like dogs or even other rodents ...
Gunnison's prairie dogs are 12 to 14 inches (30 to 36 cm) in length and have tails that measure 1.25 to 2.25 inches (3.2 to 5.7 cm). This species weighs from 1.5 to 2.5 lb (0.68 to 1.13 kg). On average, males are larger in size than females. Gunnison's prairie dogs have 22 teeth, and five pairs of mammary glands. [2]
Utah prairie dogs are a member of the latter of the two groups and the subgenus Leucrossuromys. Utah prairie dogs may have been part of the interbreeding species of white-tailed prairie dogs but their differences are a result of what is known as allopatric speciation – separation of a species by physiographic and ecological barriers. [5]