The prairie dog (Cynomys) is a small, burrowing rodent native to the grasslands of North America. On average, this stout-bodied rodent will grow to be between 12 and 16 inches (30 and 40 cm) long, including its short tail. They are found in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In the U.S., prairie dogs are primarily found west of the Mississippi River, though they have also been introduced in a few eastern locales. Suborders Sciuromorpha Castorimorpha Myomorpha Anomaluromorpha Hystricomorpha Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing. ... The Konza tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills of northeastern Kansas. ... North America North America is a continent [1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... For the river in Canada, see Mississippi River (Ontario). ...

Etymology

Prairie dogs are named for their habitat and warning call, which sounds similar to a dog's bark. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the name is attested from at least 1774.^[1] The 1804 journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition note that in September 1804, they "discovered a Village of an animal the french Call the Prarie Dog" ^[2] Lewis and Clark redirects here. ...

Its genus, Cynomys, derives from the Greek for "mouse dog."

Biology and behavior

Kissing Prairie Dogs

Fighting Prairie Dogs

The highly social prairie dogs live in large colonies or "towns" — collections of prairie dog families that can span hundreds of acres. Families usually consist of 1 male and 2 to 4 females living in a strict pecking order. ^[3] Prairie dog pups reach sexual maturity at about 3 years of age, and after their third winter the dominant male in a given family will drive them away, forcing them to establish their own families on the edges of the colony. The dominant male will defend the family's borders against rival prairie dogs, and disputes are resolved with fighting. Prairie dogs are also aggressive against predators such as badgers and snakes. Prairie dogs are social animals, however, and often make social visits with each other, and greet each other with a sort of kiss.^[4] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 600 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1700 × 1700 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 600 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1700 × 1700 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (3888 × 2592 pixel, file size: 3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (3888 × 2592 pixel, file size: 3. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Prairie dog tunnel systems help channel rainwater into the water table to prevent runoff and erosion, and can also serve to change the composition of the soil in a region by reversing soil compaction that can be a result of cattle grazing. The tunnels usually have several chambers. Tunnels can descend vertically as much as 5 meters (16 feet), and can extend laterally as much as 30 meters (100 feet). Prairie dogs line their burrows with grass to insulate them, and the earth excavated from the burrow is piled up in mounds around the burrow's entrance. The prairie dogs use these carefully maintained mounds as observation posts.^[5] Cross section showing the water table varying with surface topography as well as a perched water table The water table or phreatic surface is the surface where the water pressure is equal to atmospheric pressure. ... Runoff flowing into a stormwater drain Surface runoff is water, from rain, snowmelt, or other sources, that flows over the land surface, and is a major component of the water cycle[1][2]. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called overland flow. ... For morphological image processing operations, see Erosion (morphology). ...

The prairie dog is well adapted to predators. Using its dichromatic color vision, it can detect predators from afar and then alert other prairie dogs to the danger with a special, high-pitched call. Con Slobodchikoff and others assert that prairie dogs use a sophisticated system of vocal communication to describe specific predators.^[3][6] Prairie dogs also trim the vegetation around their colonies, perhaps to remove any cover for predators.^[7] Their burrows generally contain several routes of escape.^[3] Predator and Prey redirect here. ... In optics, the term dichroic has two related but distinct meanings. ...

The prairie dog is chiefly herbivorous, though it eats some insects. It feeds primarily on grasses and, in the fall, broadleaf forbs. Prairie dogs have up to 4 pups yearly, which are born blind and furless and need about 30 days of close nurturing from their mother. A deer and two fawns feeding on some foliage A herbivore is often defined as any organism that eats only plants[1]. By that definition, many fungi, some bacteria, many animals, about 1% of flowering plants and some protists can be considered herbivores. ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Archaeognatha (bristletails) Thysanura (silverfish) Subclass Pterygota Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Superorder Exopterygota Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Embioptera (webspinners) Zoraptera (angel insects) Dermaptera (earwigs) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc) Phasmatodea (stick insects) Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Psocoptera... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants (also angiosperms or Magnoliophyta) are one of the major groups of modern plants, comprising those that produce seeds in specialized reproductive organs called flowers, where the ovulary or carpel is enclosed. ... A forb is a flowering plant with a non-woody stem that is not a grass. ...

Conservation status

A Black-tailed Prairie Dog forages above ground for grasses and leaves.

Ecologists consider this rodent to be a keystone species. They are an important prey species, being the primary diet in prairie species such as the black-footed ferret, the swift fox, the golden eagle, the badger, and the ferruginous hawk. Other species, such as the mountain plover and the burrowing owl, also rely on prairie dog burrows for nesting areas. Even grazing species such as bison, pronghorn and mule deer have shown a proclivity for grazing on the same land used by prairie dogs.^{[citation needed]} It is believed that they prefer the vegetative conditions after prairie dogs have foraged through the area. Many creatures that prey on them are threatened. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 555 pixelsFull resolution (2299 × 1596 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 555 pixelsFull resolution (2299 × 1596 pixel, file size: 1. ... Binomial name Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, 1815) The Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), is found in the Great Plains of North America from about the USA-Canada border to the USA-Mexico border. ... For the journal, see Ecology (journal). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name (Audubon & Bachman, 1851) The Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes) is a small carnivorous North American mammal closely related to the Steppe Polecat of Russia, and a member of the diverse family Mustelidae which also includes weasels, mink, polecats, martens, otters, and badgers. ... Binomial name (Say, 1823) The Swift Fox (Vulpes velox) is a small fox found in the western grasslands of North America, such as Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. ... For other uses, see Golden Eagle (disambiguation). ... Genera  Arctonyx  Melogale  Meles  Mellivora  Taxidea For other uses, see Badger (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Buteo regalis (Gray, 1844) The Ferruginous Hawk, Buteo regalis, is a large hawk. ... Binomial name Charadrius montanus (Townsend, 1837) The Mountain Plover is a medium-sized ground bird in the plover family. ... Binomial name (Molina, 1782) Subspecies About 20 living, see text Synonyms Strix cunicularia Molina, 1782 Speotyto cunicularia Spheotyto cunicularia (lapsus) The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. ... Species †B. antiquus B. bison B. bonasus †B. latifrons †B. occidentalis †B. priscus Bison in winter. ... Binomial name Antilocapra americana Ord, 1815 Subspecies The Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is the only surviving member of the family Antilocapridae, and the fastest mammal in North America running at speeds of 58 mph (90 km/h). ... Binomial name (Rafinesque, 1817) The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) is a deer whose habitat is in the western half of North America. ...

Despite their ecological importance, prairie dogs are frequently exterminated from ranchland, being labeled as a pest because they are capable of damaging crops^[8] and often clear the immediate area around their burrows of most vegetation. This program of extermination probably originated in the 19th century, hundreds of years after the Native Americans began using prairie dogs as a food source.^[9] Carpet beetle larvae damaging a specimen of Sceliphron destillatorius in an entomological collection A pest is an organism which has characteristics that are regarded as injurious or unwanted. ... Native Americans redirects here. ...

Prairie dog habitat has been impacted by encroachment of human development, and removal by ranchers and farmers. Numbers of all species of prairie dog have been greatly reduced as a result. The largest remaining community is comprised of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs. In spite of this, Prairie dog towns have adapted to development, forming in open lots of urban areas near human housing and construction in western cities. Habitat (which is Latin for it inhabits) is the place where a particular species live and grow. ... Binomial name Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, 1815) The Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), is found in the Great Plains of North America from about the USA-Canada border to the USA-Mexico border. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ...

In captivity

Prairie dogs are gaining popularity as zoo animals.

Until 2003, primarily black-tailed prairie dogs were collected from the wild for the exotic pet trade in Canada, the United States, Japan and Europe. They were removed from their underground burrows each spring, as young pups, with a large vacuum device. They are difficult to breed in captivity, but it has been done on several occasions. Removing them from the wild was a far more common method of supplying the market demand. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 445 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Prairie dog Metadata This file contains... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 445 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Prairie dog Metadata This file contains...

They can be difficult pets to care for, requiring regular attention and a very specific diet of grasses and hay. Each year they go into a period called rut that can last for several months, in which their personalities can drastically change, often becoming defensive or even aggressive. Despite their needs, prairie dogs are very social animals and come to almost seem like they treat humans as members of their colony, answering barks and chirps, and even coming when called by name. The oestrus cycle (also Å“strus or estrous cycle) refers to the recurring physiologic changes that are induced by reproductive hormones in most mammalian placental females (humans and great apes are the only mammals who undergo a menstrual cycle instead). ...

In mid-2003, due to cross-contamination at a Madison, Wisconsin-area pet swap from an unquarantined Gambian pouched rat imported from Ghana, several prairie dogs in captivity acquired monkey pox, and subsequently a few humans were also infected. This led the CDC to institute an outright ban on the sale, trade, and transport of prairie dogs within the United States.^[10] The disease was never introduced to any wild populations. The European Union also banned importation of prairie dogs in response.^[11] While largely seen by exotic pet owners and vendors as unfair, the monkey pox scare was not the only zoonosis incident associated with prairie dogs. Prairie dogs are also very susceptible to bubonic plague, and many wild colonies have been wiped out by it.^{[citation needed]} Also, in 2002 a large group of prairie dogs in captivity in Texas were found to have contracted tularemia.^[12] Prairie dogs are natural carriers of plague, and the ban is believed to be in the best interests of protecting the public, there are no intentions of ever lifting it. The prairie dog ban is frequently cited by the CDC as a successful response to the threat of zoonosis. For other uses, see Madison (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Binomial name Cricetomys gambianus Waterhouse, 1840 The Gambian pouch rat, Cricetomys gambianus, also known as the African Giant Pouch rat, is a nocturnal pouched rat native to Africa. ... The Monkeypox virus, first identified in 1958 as a pathogen of cynomolgus monkeys, is an orthopoxvirus with a clinical presentation similar to smallpox. ... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, is recognized as the leading United States agency for protecting the public health and safety of people. ... Zoonosis (pronounced ) is any infectious disease that may be transmitted from other animals, both wild and domestic, to humans or from humans to animals (the latter is sometimes called reverse zoonosis). ... The bubonic plague or bubonic fever is the best-known variant of the deadly infectious disease caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis (Pasteurella pestis). ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... Tularemia (also known as rabbit fever) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. ... Zoonosis (pronounced ) is any infectious disease that may be transmitted from other animals, both wild and domestic, to humans or from humans to animals (the latter is sometimes called reverse zoonosis). ...

Prairie dogs that were in captivity at the time of the ban in 2003 are allowed to be kept under a grandfather clause, but they may not be bought, traded, or sold and transport is only permitted to and from a veterinarian under proper quarantine procedures. A grandfather clause is an exception that allows an old rule to continue to apply to some existing situations, when a new rule will apply to all future situations. ... Look up veterinarian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Popular culture

A prairie dog prairie-dogging in the opening of its burrow

In companies that use large numbers of cubicles in a common space, employees sometimes use the term prairie dogging to refer to the action of several people simultaneously looking over the walls of their cubicles in response to a noise or other distraction. This action is thought to resemble the startle response of a group of prairie dogs. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 531 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1360 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 531 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1360 pixel, file size: 2. ... A cubicle desk forms an integral whole with the five or six foot high partitions that separate it from the neighbors. ...

A "surprised" prairie dog appears in the internet video "Dramatic Prairie Dog". It was recorded from a Japanese children's TV show.^{[citation needed]} Some variations of the video mistake it for a "chipmunk", a "ground hog" or even a "marmot". An Internet phenomenon occurs when something becomes extremely popular, often quite suddenly, through the word-of-mouth and self-publishing made feasible by the Internet. ...

Classification and first identification

The Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) was first described by Lewis and Clark in 1804 during the Lewis and Clark Expedition.^[2] Lewis described it in more detail in 1806, calling it the "barking squirrel."^[13] Lewis and Clark redirects here. ...

• ORDER RODENTIA
• Suborder Sciuromorpha
  • FAMILY SCIURIDAE (Squirrels, chipmunks, marmots and prairie dogs)
    • Subfamily Xerinae
      • Genus Cynomys
        • Gunnison's Prairie Dog, Cynomys gunnisoni
        • White-tailed Prairie Dog, Cynomys leucurus
        • Black-tailed Prairie Dog, Cynomys ludovicianus
        • Mexican Prairie Dog, Cynomys mexicanus
        • Utah Prairie Dog, Cynomys parvidens
      • About 14 other genera in subfamily

Suborders Sciuromorpha Castorimorpha Myomorpha Anomaluromorpha Hystricomorpha Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing. ... Infraorders Anomaluromorpha Castorimorpha Ctenodactylomorpha Geomorpha Glirimorpha Myodonta Sciurida Sciurognathi is a suborder of rodents that includes squirrels, chipmunks, beavers, and many types of mice. ... Genera Many: see text. ... This article is about the animal. ... Chipmunks like cheese and crackers. ... Species See text. ... Tribes & Genera Xerini Atlantoxerus Spermophilopsis Xerus Protoxerini Epixerus Funisciurus Heliosciurus Myosciurus Paraxerus Protoxerus Marmotini Ammospermophilus Cynomys Marmota Sciurotamias Spermophilus Tamias Xerinae is a subfamily of squirrels, many of which are highly terrestrial. ... Binomial name Cynomys gunnisoni (Baird, 1855) Gunnisons Prairie Dog (Cynomys gunnisoni), is found in the four corners area of North America, primarily living in sagebrush ecosystems. ... Binomial name Cynomys leucurus (Merriam, 1890) The White-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys leucurus) is found in western Wyoming and western Colorado with small areas in eastern Utah and southern Montana. ... Binomial name Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, 1815) The Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), is found in the Great Plains of North America from about the USA-Canada border to the USA-Mexico border. ... Binomial name Cynomys mexicanus Merriam, 1892 The Mexican Prairie Dog (Cynomys mexicanus) is a diurnal burrowing rodent native to Mexico. ... Binomial name Cynomys parvidens Allen, 1905 The Utah Prairie Dog (Cynomys parvidens) is the smallest species of prairie dog, a member of the squirrel family of rodents native to the south central steppes of the US state of Utah. ...

Additional Images

References

1. ^ Online Etymology Dictionary, prairie.
2. ^ ^{a b} Journals of the Lewis and Clark expedition, "7th September Friday 1804. a verry Cold morning"
3. ^ ^{a b c} "Cognition and communication in prairie dogs," The Cognitive Animal, 257-264, MIT Press.
4. ^ Mondadori, Arnoldo Ed. Great Book of the Animal Kingdom. Arch Cape Press, NY 1988 p271
5. ^ Mondadori, Arnoldo Ed. Great Book of the Animal Kingdom. Arch Cape Press, NY 1988 p271
6. ^ Scientist: Prairie Dogs Have Own Language. Retrieved on 2006-04-18.
7. ^ Nebraska Game and Park Commission: the Prairie Dog.
8. ^ Mammals of Texas: Black-tailed Prairie Dog. Retrieved on 2006-04-18.
9. ^ Slobodchikoff, C. N., Judith Kiriazis, C. Fischer, and E. Creef (1991). "Semantic information distinguishing individual predators in the alarm calls of Gunnison's prairie dogs," Animal Behaviour, 42, 713-719.
10. ^ CDC: Questions & Answers About Monkey Pox. Retrieved on 2006-04-18.
11. ^ Born Free: EU bans rodent imports following monkeypox outbreak. Retrieved on 2006-04-18.
12. ^ AVMA: Tularemia Outbreak Identified In Pet Prairie Dogs. Retrieved on 2006-04-18.
13. ^ Journal of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Tuesday July 1st 1806.

• Cynomys ludovicianus (TSN 180186). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 16 February 2006.
• Nowak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, Vol. 2. Johns Hopkins University Press, London.
• Prairie Dogs Are A Keystone Species Of The Great Plains
• Desert USA: Prairie Dogs

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ... is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Prairie dogs videos
• (Italian) Italian association Prairie dogs
• Prairie dog recipes
• Greycliff Prairie Dog Town State Park|[1][2]
• Dramatic Prairie Dog videos

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...