Prairie DogsPrairie Dogs

TypesTypes

• 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

DescriptionDescription

• 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

BehaviorBehavior

• 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

PredatorsPredators

• Hawks, owls, eagles, and ravens

• Coyotes

• Badgers

• Ferrets

• Snakes

• Man

Habitat and PopulationHabitat 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%