Scientific Name:
Cynomys ludovicianus
Distribution
Southcentral Canada, USΑ, Northeast Mexico
Diet:
Herbivore. Grasses, cacti, bulbs, herbs.
Facts
Habitat: Short-grass prairies
Dimensions: 37cm
Weight: males 905g, females 819g
Gestation: 33-38 days, 1-8 young
Lifespan: 3-5
Social structure: Colonies of hundred to million individuals
Estimated population in the wild: Decreasing
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Threats: Habitat loss due to agriculture and urbanization, exotic disease, population control via poisoning and shooting because it is considered as a pest for crops.
Did you know that:
- They are rodents and not dogs! Their name derives from their bark-like call. At least 12 alarm calls are known and it is believed that they can communicate detailed information about predators.
- Each colony shares a complex network of burrows. The largest ever recorded colony is 65 billion m² containing ~400 million animals! Colonies are subdivided into “wards” and then into smaller family units.