Wind Cave National Park - Blacktail Prairie Dog (U.S. National Park Service)

NPS Photo by Tom Bean

Blacktail Prairie Dogs - Cynomys ludovicianus
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Class	Mammalia
Order	Rodentia (2 incisors above, 2 below with distinct space between 2 teeth)
Family	Sciuridae (squirrel family) includes chipmucks, woodchucks, marmots.
Genus	Cynomys
Species	ludovicianus
Name/ History	Considered a pest in most western states, the prairie dog was called "little dog" by French trappers.
Size Weight (lbs)	Male 2-3	Female 2-3	Young Achieves adult size by fall
Height (in)	11-13	11-13
Tail (in)	3-4
Mate	January
Gestation	28-32 days
Birth	March-April. Pups hairless with eyes closed, come above ground at 6 weeks.
# young	3-5
Age	8.5 in captivity
Habitat/ Range	Dry upland prairies. Lives in burrows.
Food	Grasses, grasshoppers/insects
Enemies	Black-footed ferret (occasional coyote, bobct, owl, eagle, rattlesnake)
Disease	Rabies, plague
Behavior/ Characteristics	Gregarious, lives in towns. When group is eating, one dog is always on alert. Within towns small groups (coteries) show territorial behavior. Does not hibernate.