Black-tailed Prairie Dog Cynomys ludovicianus

Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
There are five species of Prairie Dog, all related to Ground Squirrels. All are native to North or Central America.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Above is the Black-tailed Prairie Dog which does not have a black tail but has a black tip to its tail. It is native to the prairies of North America.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
One of the most common species, its range covers from within Canada to within Mexico. It lives in gregarious "towns" of thousands of individuals.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
They live in dens in interconnected burrows. This mother is stealing straw from a farmyard to line her den.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog young
Black-tailed Prairie Dog babies
In addition to baby-rearing dens, the burrows have food storage "rooms" and defecating rooms. Other animals also use prarie dog burrows for shelter.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
They are believed to vary their alarm calls to identify which predator/danger from whence and possibly to communicate other information by varying calls.