Black-tailed Prairie Dog

Although they are called Black-tailed Prairie Dogs, these animals belong to the order of rodents. Their coat colour is brown with whitish hairs on the ventral area, and they have a tail with a black tip. The eyes are large and the ears are short and round. There is sexual dimorphism in this species, with males reaching larger sizes than females.

They are strictly diurnal animals and quite social. They form family groups that are defended by the dominant member, occupying a certain area. They live with their colony in tunnels dug by themselves, which join several galleries, at depths of up to 10m. In summer they accumulate fat reserves to use during the winter when they hibernate. When a member spots a predator, it emits an alarm vocalization, being the warning signal for the whole group to enter their burrows.

This species is classified as “Least Concern”, however, because it has always been considered a pest to agriculture and livestock, about 98% of its original geographical distribution has been reduced due to hunting, poisoning and the destruction of its tunnels. As a result of this human action, the only remaining large populations of this species are found in national parks and other protected regions.