PRAIRIE DOGBy: Jesslyn

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The prairie dog’s length is 12-15 inches.

The prairie dog’s weight is 1-3 lbs.

The prairie dog’s color is brown fur.

LIFESPAN

The prairie dog lives up to 3-5 years in the wild.

The prairie dog lives up to 8 years in captivity.

EATING HABITS/DIET The prairie dog is a

omnivore. The prairie eats

grasses, sedges, and forbs.

POPULATION

The black tailed prairie dog once was numbered in the hundreds of millions.

ADAPTATIONS

Sharp Claws- The prairie dog uses its sharp claws for digging burrows.

Large Black Eyes- The prairie dog uses its large black eyes for finding food.

Short Legs- The prairie dog uses its short legs to get around to get the food they found.

HABITAT/RANGE

The black tailed prairie dog colonies were once found across the Great Plains.

FUN FACTS

When the prairie dogs are acting as sentries, they are watching for predators or signs of danger.

ENDANGERED BECAUSE

The prairie dog’s predators are eating some of the prairie dogs.

Humans are destroying some of the prairie habitats.

REFERENCE

Defenders of the Wild. 2012. www.defenders.org