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A prairie dog is a small burrowing rodent, genus Cynomys, of the squirrel family, being closely related to ground squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots, mostly being herbivorous, although the eat some insects. They are named for their habitat and warning call which sounds like a dog barking. They make burrows in the ground called prairie dog towns or colonies. Prairie dogs colors are tan, white or black with an average size is between 30-40 cm (12-16 in) long, including the short tail and weigh between 0.5-1.5 kilograms (1-3 lb). When the pregnant female collects dry grass to make a soft nest for 5-10 babies in each litter. At birth they weigh about half an ounce. Although Prairie Dogs are almost exclusively vegetarian, nursing females have been observed both cannibalizing and communally nursing each others pups.

The largest prairie dog colony on record was in Texas, and was about 100 miles wide, 250 miles long and contained an estimated 400 million animals.

There are five species of prairie dogs in North America (Utah, Gunnison, White- tailed, Mexican, and Black-tailed) live in colonies. However, the black-tailed prairie dogs live in contiguous, territorial family groups called coteries.

Prairie dogs feed on leaves, grasses and grass roots, weeds, seeds and other plants (including crops like alfalfa and corn). They also eat grasshoppers, cutworms, bug and beetles. The various native plants of the Great Plains make up the Prairie Dog's primary diet, comprising all kinds of grasses, roots, weeds, ferns and blossoms. They acquire all of their water from the food they eat. Sometimes insects are also eaten.

Prairie dogs are native to the grasslands of North America and lives in the grassland biome in North American prairie and grassland where there are three distinct areas of prairie - Tallgrass prairie, Mixed-grass prairie and Shortgrass prairie. In the United States, the greatest stretch of grassland is the prairie, extending from the Appalachians in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West. Being in the center of the North American land mass, far from the moderating influence of major bodies of water, there is a great range of annual temperature.The dominant vegetation in these biotic communities is blue grama, mixed with galleta grass, Indian rice grass, and other grasses.

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12y ago
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10y ago

No, a prairie dog is a species of ground squirrel - a rodent. They are called a dog because they have a bark they emit when excited.

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15y ago

They look like very big squirrels sitting in a hole in the ground. They lack the bushy tail.

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11y ago

No, because its in the class of a rodent. If you ever go though a list of dog breeds, see if you can see a prairie dog in their.

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11y ago

they are short, stouted body, small ears, short tails,muscular legs , buff colored tai

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10y ago

Prairie dog belongs to sciuridae family.

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14y ago

a human's head

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Q: What is the prairie dog family member?
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Related questions

How do you think the lives of prairie dogs differ from wild member of the dog family such as wolves?

The lives of a prairie dog would differ because prairie dogs are not that wild like wolves might be. And wolves are in the canine family and prairie dogs are rodents.


How do you think the lives of prairie dogs differ from wild members of the dog family such as wolves?

The lives of a prairie dog would differ because prairie dogs are not that wild like wolves might be. And wolves are in the canine family and prairie dogs are rodents.


How do think the lives of the prairie dogs differ from wild members of the dog family such as wolves?

The lives of a prairie dog would differ because prairie dogs are not that wild like wolves might be. And wolves are in the canine family and prairie dogs are rodents.


Is a prairie dog considered in the cat family?

No, the Prairie dog is more closely related to squirrels than dogs.


What snake family is this snake member of the prairie ring- necked snake?

Ring-necked snakes are a member of the family Colubridae.


How do you think the lives of prairies dogs differ from wild members of the dog family such as wolves?

The lives of a prairie dog would differ because prairie dogs are not that wild like wolves might be. And wolves are in the canine family and prairie dogs are rodents.


What is the scientific name for the prairie dog?

Cynomys ludovicianus is the scientific name of the most common kind of prairie dog, the black-tailed priarie dog. The genus is Cynomys and the family is Sciuridae


What is a male prairie dog called?

They are called towns and colonies.A group of prairie dogs is called a town or coterie.


How does a prairie dog get protection?

The prairie dogs hide in a hole that each family digs them selves. I think it's pretty cool.


Is a prairie dog a herbivore carnivore or omnivore?

Prairie dog is a hervibore.


What is a factor of a prairie dog?

the prairie dog ecosystem is hawks, ferrets, and other animals that hunt the prairie dog.


What is largest member of the dog family?

Largest is the English Mastiff, tallest is Irish Wolfhound.