For Steph: A Prairie Dog

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Steph requested a pic of a prairie dog. Well, she requested a pic of a prairie dog fighting a squirrel, and I didn't come across that happening and it would be unethical to engineer it. In fact, this is the only glimpse I've had of any of the prairie dogs in the past couple months. They stay on exhibit during the winter, but are less active.

Prairie dogs are highly social ground squirrels found in the plains of North America. Historically they occurred in huge numbers, and were a keystone species for the plains ecosystem. They had the misfortune of occupying land that humans found to be useful for grazing livestock, and so were assigned the status of pest in their native habitat. Prairie dogs are still shot on sight in many places, though two of five species are listed as Endangered. The wholesale destruction of prairie dog towns led to the near extinction of the black-footed ferret.

Our prairie dogs are black-tailed prairie dogs Cynomys ludovicianus the species which still occurs in the largest numbers. This exhibit holds ten animals (I think) at the moment. The design of the exhibit (actually an old seal pool filled with soil) allows the guests to see the animals very closely. If you make the right kind of kissy noise at them, the prairie dogs will alarm bark and raise their forepaws in an adorable manner. They have a complex array of communication behaviors and probably think that our barking at them is pretty stupid. The prairie dog exhibit is one of the most popular animal exhibits in Children's Zoo.

Thanks for your donation, Steph! I'll be sending the stickers later next week.

If you have a request for a zoo animal you would like me to photograph, simply click the button and donate $5.00 to the New England Chapter of the American Association of Zoo Keepers! Thanks!