World of Animals
Featured Animals
General
Prairie Dogs are cute Mammals that we hope you will find very interesting. To jump to a specific section, use the Quick Jump below by clicking on the categories.
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| Sizes -Length: 11-13 inches -Tail: 3-4 inches -Weight: 2-3 lbs. |
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| Habitat
and Habits -found on North American prairies -found in Northern Mexico -live in burrows -social structure is similar to that of humans -live in towns which used to cover several square miles -each town is divided into wards -each ward is divided into coteries which equal about 1 acre -one coterie usually has one adult male, three adult females, and several young -each family unit keeps and defends its area against neighboring coteries -maintain social structure with a kissing ritual -crawl toward each other on bellies -bare teeth and kiss -one retreats if the other prairie dog is a stranger -if friends, they stay and groom together -grooming is a way of cementing friendships -have many calls -chattering -high pitched scream -warning bark -life span of eight years in captivity |
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| Food
and Feeding -feeds on grass and other prairie plants -in towns, all tall plants are gone -leaves nowhere for predators to hide -helps them keep look out better -controls weight by regurgitating food after it has regained body fat after the winter |
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Prairie
Dog and Man
-most US prairies have been converted to farmland leaving no room for prairie dogs
-in Kansas prairie dog towns were once 2.5 million acres
-today they are only
37,000 acres
-in 1905, the Texas prairie dog population was 800 million
-by the 1970s it was less than 2.25 million
Links for More Information
-Prairie Dogs