PRAIRIE DOG

(Cynomys), any of five species of stout, burrowing rodents of the squirrel family, Sciuridae (order Rodentia), named for their sharp, barklike call. Short-tailed, yellowish brown squirrels with small ears and short legs, prairie dogs are 30 to 43 cm (12 to 17 inches) long, including a 3- to 12-centimetre (1- to 5-inch) tail. They are gregarious and generally live in colonies that consist of well-defined territories, or coteries, occupied and defended by a male, several females, and immature young. Recognition "kissing" and grooming afford the frequent contact required to maintain social structure within coteries. Once abundant throughout the plains of the western United States and northern Mexico, prairie dogs have been greatly reduced-by poisoning-in range and numbers. They have been hunted by man because they may damage crops and compete with livestock for grass, the main item in their diet. Protected colonies are located in Wyoming, Texas, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) There are two main species of prairie dogs. The black-tailed (C. ludovicianus; see photograph), with a black-tipped tail, is more widespread, occurring sparsely over the Great Plains. Its colonies are characterized by the funnel-shaped entry mounds of the burrows. These mounds are carefully tended by the animals. They prevent flooding and serve as elevated lookout posts. The white-tailed prairie dog (C. leucurus), a species with a white-tipped tail, inhabits higher altitudes than the black-tailed form. It hibernates in winter and is less colonial in habit. Both species breed in spring, the females bearing up to 10 young after about a month's gestation.