There are a lot of amazing animals in the world who do peculiar things in their everyday social life. I also feel like there are so many animals that its hard to remember them all. Well i just wanted to remind everyone about the adorable Black Tailed Prairie Dog. They may not be an animal that normally pops into your head but if you were alive in 1905 that might be different.
You see back then there was a prairie dog population of 800 million in Texas but by the 1970's that number dropped to only 2.25 million. Kansas had a similar problem they had prairie dog towns that spanned 2.5 million acres at one point. Today there are only 37,000 acres which are home to prairie dogs. Unfortunately most of the prairie dogs towns were converted into farms leaving them less room for living.
According to NationalZoo.com prairie dogs grow between 14-17 inches and weigh 2-3 pounds. They are tan with a whitish belly and the tip of their tails are black. They also have small ears and relative to their body size large black eyes. Their typical life span is only 3-5 years.
Prairie dog habitats are quite complex they live in towns which are made up of territorial neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are then comprised of coteries which are family groups made up of one male, 1-4 females and their young. Adult males will normally move to a new town but rarely try to start one of their own. There are many entrances into the towns but the main entrance is recognized by a large mound of earth around the opening standing at about 1 foot high.
Prairie dogs are busy little animals keeping themselves working on anything from foraging, socializing with others, maintaining burrows and scanning for predators. In each coterie one prairie dog will stand watch for predators and if one is seen will alert the rest of the town with a series of bark-like whistles. In hot summer days prairie dogs tend to stay underground but will come out in the morning and evening when it is cooler. Some days when its cool enough they will stay above ground but rain will make them retreat underground.
One peculiar ritual the prairie dogs have among them is the kissing ritual. Where two prairie dogs crawl towards each other on their bellies bare teeth and kiss. If they are strangers one will retreat after, if friends they will stay and clean each other. Cleaning is a way of making friendships in their towns.
Unfortunately prairie dogs are continually fighting against a disease called the sylvatic plague. The infection is caused by bacterium that is transmitted by fleas onto the prairie dogs. There are people who are concerned about these animals survival and are pushing to have them added to the endangered list. I for one think they should be protected because NationalZoo.com also says that more than 170 vertebrate species are affected by prairie dog existence.
They are such cute animals! It is amazing how many there were back in the early 1900's! I never knew that there were population problems with the black tailed prairie dog.
ReplyDeleteI have seen some at zoo's. They are very interesting creatures to watch. I have witnessed the kissing ritual. It's interesting to see how animals determine if they want to be friends or not.
I also think that if their population plummeted that fast and they are fighting a disease then they should be put on the endangered species list. They should be protected so they don't become extinct, especially if there are more than 170 vertebrate species affected by prairie dog existence!
I would agree that they are kind of a cute animal. I never knew that they had that large of a population especially in just one state. They sound like they could be quite an interesting creature to stick around and watch how they interact and play with each other or defend their territories.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it does seem like they do have a down side. i think if i was a farmer and there were prairie dogs by my farm i would have a little concern. By them digging holes they could cause a lot of damage to my farm, but worse yet if i had cattle they could get their leg stuck in a hole and could potentially break its leg which would end up costing me money out of my lively hood. At the same time i do think that they should be preserved if possible, but their population should remain in check at all times.
Really its nice information the passport workshop with Jamie and Nichole was absolutely fantastic! They are tan with a whitish belly and the tip of their tails are black. They also have small ears and relative to their body size large black eyes. Their typical life span is only 3-5 years. I’m so glad I attended as I came away with so many resources as well as a whole lot of inspiration! Thanks for sharing.
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