Prairie Dogs

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Prairie Dogs
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Types

• Black Tailed lives on the dry plains from
  central Texas to Canada
• White-Tailed lives in the Western United States,
  Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana
• Prairie Dog lives around the Four Corners from
  5000-11000 feet
• Mexican Prairie Dog lives only in Mexico
• Utah Prairie Dog lives in Utah

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All prairie dogs live in colonies called towns in
burrows up to 100 feet deep.
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Description

• Weight 1.5 to 3 lbs.
• Length Body 11 to 13 inches, tail 3 to 4 inches
• Fur Yellowish
• 22 teeth
• Life Span 3-5 years
• Vegetarian

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Behavior

• Communicate by a bark like sound
• Different sounds for different predators
• Can run up to 35 mph
• Dormant during winter months
• Social system of 1 male and 4-5 females

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Predators

• Hawks, owls, eagles, and ravens
• Coyotes
• Badgers
• Ferrets
• Snakes
• Man

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Habitat and Population

• Lives in colonies called towns
• Lives in burrows that may be as deep as 100 feet
• Lives on the grasslands of the plains and mid
  west
• In 1900 a population of 400 million prairie dogs
  was reported on the high plains of Texas
• Today, Prairie dogs are considered a threatened
  species as the population has decreased by 98

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This is what a prairie dog town might look like
Each yellow dot represents a prairie dog burrow.
Each burrow has numerous prairie dogs inside.