Meet+Cosmo,the+Prairie+Dog

All About Cosmos, the North American Prairie Dog

National Geographic shares with us that these charismatic, rabbit-size rodents live on North America's prairies and open grasslands.

Prairie dogs live in underground burrows, extensive tunnels and chambers marked by many mounds of packed earth at their surface entrances. Burrows have defined nurseries, sleeping quarters, and even toilets. They also feature listening posts near exits, so animals can safely keep tabs on the movements of predators outside. Prairie dogs spend a lot of time building and rebuilding these dwellings. Other animals benefit from their labors. Burrows may be shared by snakes, burrowing owls, and even rare black-footed ferrets, which hunt prairie dogs in their own dwellings. Family groups (a male, a few females, and their young) inhabit burrows and cooperate to share food, chase off other prairie dogs, and groom one another. These group members even greet one with a prairie dog kiss or nuzzle. Young pups are very playful and can often been seen romping near their burrows.

All species hunker down in winter and burn the reserves of fat they have stored during more plentiful seasons. White-tail prairie dogs may hibernate for up to six months on their mountain plains, while their black-tailed cousins sometimes emerge to feed on especially warm days.

These large squirrels emerge from their burrows in daylight to forage and feed on grasses, roots, and seeds. They communicate with loud cries. A warning cry, for example, will send a town's denizens hustling to their holes at the approach of a badger, coyote, or other predator. A second, "all-clear" call alerts the community when the danger has passed.

Much of the Great Plains has been converted to farming or pastureland, and prairie dogs are not often welcome in such places. Because of their destructive landscaping, they are often killed as pests. During the 20th century, about 98 percent of all prairie dogs were exterminated, and their range has shrunk to perhaps five percent of its historic spread.

Hear a Prairie Dog: media type="file" key="Prairie Dog Sound Clip 1.mp3" width="240" height="20"

Fast Facts
Type: Mammal Diet: Herbivore (a salad lover!) Average life span in the wild: 3 to 4 years Size:Head and body, 12 to 15 in (30 to 38 cm); tail, 3 to 4 in (8 to 10 cm) Weight:2 to 4 lbs (1 to 2 kg) Group name: Prairie dog town Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Behavior: Exemplar

media type="custom" key="23551078"