Black-Tailed Prairie Dog

Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)

• Social rodent found in the Great Plains of North America
• Live in large colonies ("towns") and burrow in the ground
• Adults are 14-17 inches (36-43 cm) and weigh 2-3 pounds (.9 to 1.4 kg)
• Get their name from the "barking" sound they make
• Population in 1900 - 800 million.  Population in 1990 - 3 million