Prairie Dog Information

The prairie dog (Cynomys) is a small rodent native to the grasslands of North America. This animal is found in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. There are five species of prairie dogs: the black-tailed (Cynomys ludovicianus) , Mexican (Cynoms mexicanus ), white-tailed (Cynoms leucurus), Gunnison's (Cynoms gunnisoni), and Utah (Cynoms parvidens). Prairie dogs are named for their habitat and warning call. They live in the prairie and their warning call sounds similar to a dog's bark. These animals weigh from 2 to 4 pounds. Prairie dogs have short ears and legs, a short tail, large feet and well-developed claws.