by Mary Anne

Created on: April 28, 2008   Last Updated: April 30, 2008

Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs are rodents within the squirrel family and include five species- the black-tailed, the white-tailed, the Gunnison, the Utah, and the Mexican prairie dog.

Their range includes the Great Plains of North America from about the USA-Canada border to the USA-Mexico border. The historic range of the black-tailed prairie dog included portions of 11 States, Canada, and Mexico. Today it ranges from south-central Canada to northeastern Mexico and from approximate the 98th meridian west to the Rocky Mountains. The species is currently found in 10 States including Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. It is no longer found in Arizona. Unlike other species of Prairie Dogs, Black-tailed Prairie Dogs do not hibernate during the winter, and can often be seen above ground in mid-winter.

Black-tailed Prairie Dogs are generally tan in color, with a lighter colored belly and a tail with a black time, which is where their name is derived from. Adults can weigh from 1.5 to 3 pounds, with males typically slightly heavier than females. Body length is normally 14 to 17 inches long, with a 3 to 4 inch tail. They have small ears, but keen hearing, and small, dark eyes, with excellent vision.

In many areas, Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs are considered a pest by farmers and ranchers. Farmers and ranchers argue that they eat the grass and other vegetation needed for livestock. They also argue that their burrows and holes in the ground are dangerous for livestock who may step in them and break their legs. Because of this, Black-tailed prairie dogs are frequently exterminated from ranchland. Their habitat has been fragmented, and their numbers have been greatly reduced.

Prior to habitat destruction, the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog was probably the most abundant and successful prairie dog in central North America. This species was one of two described by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the journals and diaries of their expedition. On their famous 1804 journey across North America, noted that this "wild dog of the prairie...appears here in infinite numbers." At that time, an estimated five billion prairie dogs lived throughout the continent's vast prairie!

Black-tailed prairie dogs were the most common prairie dog species collected in the wild for the exotic pet trade until they were banned in 2003. Prairie dogs in captivity at the time of the ban are allowed to be possessed under a grandfather clause, no more

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