On average, prairie dogs can grow 12-16 inches long and weigh 1-4 pounds. Some subspecies have more sexual dimorphism than others.

All subspecies have small, round ears, a 3-4-inch tail, short limbs, and brownish-gray fur.

Prairie dogs are a type of rodent found in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. There are five subspecies that live in dry, arid environments that can get as warm as 100 °F in the summer and as cold as -35 °F in the winter! There used to be hundreds of millions of prairie dogs that European settlers wrote about, however, they are now down to less than 5% of their original scope.

Prairie dogs are mainly herbivores, though they sometimes eat insects. Their diet includes grasses and leaves in spring, seeds in summer, and stems and roots during fall and winter. Prairie dogs will stay in their burrows throughout winter burning off the fat they put on during the spring and summer. These little critters can also be seen joining together to chase out threats and kill competing herbivores!

Mating season varies between prairie dog subspecies with some having the alpha male be the only one to father offspring, while others may have multiple paternal members. Breeding usually takes place in the burrows to lessen predation and competition. The mothers will remain pregnant for about a month before giving birth to 3-8 blind furless pups. Pups will be nursed and guarded underground for six weeks; by five months they are ready to leave the burrow.

When prairie dogs are coming or leaving an area, you can observe them “kissing”, touching noses and locking their teeth. This allows them to determine if they are members of the same family group.

Prairie dogs are very social animals that live in small groups called coteries. These coteries are grouped into wards, and the wards make up a colony that can stretch for hundreds of miles!

Prairie dogs have one of the most complex forms of communication in the animal kingdom. Their barks and yips can not only tell the colony a predator is coming, but a detailed description of the predator as well.