Cynomys ludovicianus

The black-tailed prairie dog is the most common prairie dog species in the Chihuahuan Desert. Prairie dogs are a “keystone species” because their extensive burrows benefit over 100 species of wildlife including insects, snakes, lizards, Burrowing Owls, Golden Eagles, badgers and coyotes.

Fun Facts

• The historic range of the black-tailed prairie dog was from southern Saskatchewan to Chihuahua, Mexico, and included portions of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.
• They have very sensitive hearing that allows them to detect predators early, especially while in their burrows.
• These animals are actually a species of ground squirrel. They are named “dog” because of their alarm bark.
• The largest prairie dog colony ever recorded spanned over 25,000 square miles was home to an estimated 400 million prairie dogs.
• Grasses and leafy vegetation make up 98 percent of the diet for black-tailed prairie dogs. They occasionally eat grasshoppers, cutworms, bugs and beetles.