by: gabriella. physical characteristics the black tailed prairie dog is 12-15 inches. the black...

Black Tailed Prairie Dog

By: Gabriella

Physical Characteristics

The black tailed prairie dog is 12-15 inches.

The black tailed prairie dog weighs 1-3 pounds.

The black tailed prairie dog is brown.

Lifespan

The black tailed prairie dog lives 3-5 years in the wild.

The black tailed prairie dog lives for 8 years in captivity.

Eating Habits/Diet

The black tailed prairie dog is an omnivore. This means that the black tailed prairie dog eats both plants and meat.

The black tailed prairie dog eats grasses, sedges, forbs, roots, seeds, and some insects.

Population

There are 10-20 million black tailed prairie dogs left in the United States.

There used to be 1 billion.

Habitat/Range

Black tailed prairie dogs live in deserts and prairies.

Some of these live in Southern Canada, Northern Mexico, and Arizona.

Adaptations

Black tailed prairie dogs use their teeth to chew on plants and insects.

Black tailed prairie dogs use their fur to camouflage.

Black tailed prairie dogs use their sharp claws for digging burrows.

Fun facts

Black tailed prairie dogs do NOT hibernate in the winter.

Black tailed prairie dogs are very social.

Black tailed prairie dogs live in knit family groups called “celeries”.

Endangered Because

Black tailed prairie dogs are endangered because of habitat destruction, poisoning, people shooting, and an exotic disease.

Reference

Defenders of the Wild. 2012.

www.defenders.org