Black-Tailed Prairie Dog

Black-Tailed Prairie Dog. Cynomys ludovicianus.

Size: up to 16 inches , Weight: up to 3.5 lbs , Lifespan: 5-8 years in the wild[;] 8-12 years in captivity , Habitat: open, level, arid, short and medium-grass plains , Diet: grasses, weeds, forbs, roots, a small amount of their diet consists of invertebrates and carrion , Status: Species of Special Concern

, The near extinction of black-footed ferrets corresponds with their dependence on prairie dog colonies for food and shelter. Because of the large scale eradication of black-tailed prairie dogs from rangelands, black-footed ferrets are unable to sustain an effective wild population. Although captive breeding of these ferrets has helped to restore the population, their continued survival depends on the availability of prairie dog colonies in which they can live. Some authors have suggested that predation by ferrets has set black-tailed prairie dogs apart from other species of prairie dogs, and may account for the higher levels of colonialism and sociality seen in this species. (Hoogland, 1995; Nowak, 1999)., Fun Facts , Prairie dogs are very social and live in colonies or towns. The largest prairie dog town located in Texas had an estimated 400 million individuals and covered 25,000 square miles (Connecticut is 5,544 square miles). Within these larger towns there are neighborhoods called coteries. A coterie is a group of related females with one or two males. When males are yearlings they are usually kicked out of the coterie. Within the coterie everything is shared like a commune, except during the rearing of the young, when the females defend the nurseries from the males., When a prairie dog spots a predator (such as a hawk, badger or black-footed ferret) it alerts its neighbors with an alarm call: a bark-like sound which gives them their name., Many consider black-tailed prairie dogs a keystone species of the prairie because of the vital role they play in the ecosystem, including; modifying the vegetation, aerating the soil and providing food and shelter for a number of animals.