by Ruth Belena

Created on: March 12, 2009

They may look like adorable little creatures, but prairie dogs are not suitable to be kept as pets. The reasons are clear when you look at their natural environment and at their habits. Then you can see how difficult it is to replicate their natural living conditions, if you want to keep prairie dogs in captivity.

There are five species of prairie dogs native to western North America. The animal gets its name from its warning calls, which sound similar to a dog's bark.

The white-tailed prairie dog inhabits the western mountains of North America. In winter this species can hibernate for up to six months.

Black-tailed prairie dogs are native to the Great Plains, ranging from southern Canada to northern Mexico. In the past, these animals colonized large expanses of prairie, where some of their tunnels and chambers spread for miles underground.

The natural habitat of the prairie dog is on open areas of prairie and in extensive grassland. Prairie dogs live socially in family groups, within a larger colony. They dig networks of underground tunnels, leading to chambers used for sleeping, for storing food, and for raising young.

Prairie dogs leave their burrows during hours of daylight to forage for food. They feed mainly on grasses, roots and seeds, but are also known to eat insects.

The burrows of the prairie dog have raised entrances, from which sentinels can look out for predators. Prairie dogs issue a loud call to signal a warning when they sense danger, so others can quickly disappear to safety underground.

Sadly, there are far fewer prairie dogs in the wild than there used to be. It is estimated that once there were as many as one billion prairie dogs, but the wild population has decreased to between 10 and 20 million. Prairie dogs now survive in small colonies, scattered across 10 American states, 2 Mexican states, and 1 Canadian province.

The reduction in numbers began when the Great Plains were first cultivated as farmland, or converted into grazing pasture. During the last century millions of prairie dogs were purposely exterminated because of their destructive tunneling habits. Their natural diet also leads them to consume crops in large quantities. Loss of habitat, and other causes, means that remaining prairie dog colonies remain fragmented and under threat.

This does not mean prairie dogs can only survive in captivity, or that breeding captive pairs will help the species. Burrowing animals should never be kept in cages, or in pens with a solid floor. If these animals are housed in an enclosure, they cannot be contained by fencing alone, they will simply burrow underneath. Deep digging, and setting sturdy barriers underground, are necessary to contain prairie dogs safely and securely.

Being very sociable animals, living naturally in large communities, it would be cruel to keep a single prairie dog as a pet, or even two or three for breeding purposes. Given that their tunnels and systems of underground chambers can be extensive, it is not right to attempt to keep them within a small enclosure.

Do not be tempted to buy prairie dogs to keep as pets. It is better to support wildlife projects that help to protect their natural habitat and allow them to live freely in the wild.

http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildli fe/prairie_dog,_black-tailed.php

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammal s/prairie-dog.html

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