Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
The black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) is one of
the most social ground squirrels, living communally in large
underground networks called "towns." Named for the bark-like
warning given when predators are nearby, prairie dogs have an
interesting social life, are ecologically important to the
prairie ecosystem, and have seen drastic declines since 1900.
Weighing in at two-and-a-half to three pounds, these gregarious
rodents are primarily light brown with a black tipped tail. The
tan coloration serves as a predator defense; blending in with
the habitat allows prairie dogs to escape from hawks circling
overhead and coyotes hunting from the ground. Like most rodents,
prairie dogs are herbivores, feeding on grasses and annual
forbs. This diet keeps the surrounding area clipped, encouraging
desired forbs to grow while improving predator detection.
Prairie dogs are unusually social for rodents, greeting each
other by placing their forearms around each other or even
touching noses or teeth. Although often incorrectly referred to
as hugging, these greetings are in fact a way to identify colony
members by smell. The smallest group within a town is called a
coterie and consists of a breeding male, three to five females,
and several juveniles. Breeding season is in late winter to
early spring with the first litter of four to six pups being
born in April. Pups emerge from the burrow six to seven weeks
later. While females remain in the town of their birth, males
disperse one to two years later to avoid breeding with close
relatives.
Found in dry, upland shortgrass and mixed-grass prairies, these
rodents have well developed forefeet used to dig and maintain
their extensive burrows. Entrances to the burrows are typically
volcano-shaped and provide ventilation to the system, serve as
look out posts, and even help keep water out of the town.
Prairie dog towns are surprisingly complicated. Dropping 10-15
feet from the surface of the main entrance, the primary tunnel
can extend 50 feet or more in length. Several chambers can be
found at the end of secondary tunnels that are used separately
for caching food, nesting and even defecation.
Often referred to ecologically as a keystone species, the
importance of prairie dogs in an ecosystem is disproportionate
to their abundance. While a prairie dog town may be relatively
small, it provides habitat, feeding grounds, and other important
areas for several species of wildlife. One study identified 30
species of mammals, 18 species of reptiles and seven different
amphibians at prairie dog towns in the panhandle of Oklahoma. In
a similar study, 73 species of birds were observed at the same
towns. This means the presence or absence of prairie dog towns
in Oklahoma could potentially affect 128 other species! While a
portion of these species may not be fully dependant on the
prairie dog to survive, others are directly linked to this
rodent. Burrowing owls nest in pre-existing burrows, while the
black-footed ferret relies on the prairie dog as a food source.
One of the largest threats to black-tailed prairie dogs is the
sylvatic plague, a disease carried by fleas. Once the plague is
introduced to a colony, it spreads quickly, and can cause a
drastic decrease in the population within months. Other leading
threats come in the form of habitat loss and various control
programs. These three factors are responsible for the 90-98
percent population reduction seen in the last 100 years.
Regrettably, many people are unaware of the consequences of
prairie dog eradication. Completely removing these towns may
cause an increase in woody brush and a decrease in overall
wildlife diversity.
Wildlife managers have made several repopulation attempts across
the western portion of the state. Some areas, including the
Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, even have viewing
areas. When visiting these towns, it is important to remember
these are wild animals. By feeding them human food, you can
damage their digestive system and even make them more
susceptible to predation. Enjoy watching from a safe distance!