Prairie dogs are relatives. Prairie dogs. What to feed prairie dogs

Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) make amazing pets and are rapidly growing in popularity.

Because of social structures in which prairie dogs live, their condition depends on harmonious relationship with others and neighbors. In nature, the prairie dog community is very similar to human society:
- every family has several of its own square meters,
- each prairie dog is busy with his work,
- rodents depend on each other.

prairie dogs have great loyalty and courage, they will fight bravely to protect their home, territory and family.

An adult black-tailed prairie dog reaches a length of 30-38 cm and weighs 1-2 kg. Fur color ranges from brown-gray to pale brown. The dogs' paws are short with sharp, hard claws. The head is wide and rounded, the eyes are black and quite large.

Prairie dogs quickly get used to captivity and their owner. Once tamed, a prairie dog does not try to escape into the wild.

Often, young prairie dogs are caught at an age when they are still drinking their mother's milk. Such dogs can quickly die if they are not properly cared for. Young dogs should be kept in a warm aquarium, with a heating pad placed under half of the aquarium so that the prairie dogs can move from the warm to the cool part of the aquarium. Feed young prairie dogs using a small plastic syringe (no more than 5 cc) Pedialyte with? cow's milk. Instead of milk, you can use Esbilac for puppies. This mixture is soldered slowly, drop by drop. Be careful to ensure that the baby can breathe after swallowing. Feed prairie dogs every few hours (2-4 hours). Make sure the mixture is warm. Make sure your prairie dog stays hydrated.

Black-tailed prairie dogs do not fall into hibernation. At a temperature of 12.7"C, dogs become lethargic and sleepy. In such cases, they are warmed with a heating pad. If a prairie dog is not warmed, it may become hypothermic. Sick prairie dogs may also be lethargic and sleepy until they will be warmed, treatment will be unsuccessful. Normal temperature prairie dog body - 36.6-37.2" C.

In order to give the injection, you need to wrap a large towel along the animal's body to limit its movement. The injections are usually given in the thigh. To calm a prairie dog, grab it at the base of its tail with one hand. Remove the dog from the table surface, holding the animal upside down. Let the dog stand with its front paws on a support (for example, a cage door, your leg), and with the other hand, grab the animal by the back of its neck.

In nature, prairie dogs dig special holes in which they go to the toilet. When the hole is full, they dig another hole. In captivity, prairie dogs can be trained to go to the toilet in a ditch or box.

Prairie dogs should not be allowed out of their cage when there are no adults in the house, because... Animals may be injured, even fatally. If you do let the dogs out to frolic freely, do not forget to remove various chemicals (household chemicals) and cover or disguise electrical wires. Prairie dogs are terrible thieves. They especially love to steal socks. They do not chew them, but collect them in their cage.

Copyright holder: Zooclub portal
When reprinting this article, an active link to the source is MANDATORY, otherwise, use of the article will be considered a violation of the Law on Copyright and Related Rights.

Prairie dogs are related to the ground squirrel and marmot. They owe their name to the yapping sounds they make. The black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) can be identified by the black tip of its tail. These animals are golden brown to reddish brown in color, with muscular legs and sharp claws, which are indispensable for digging spacious underground structures. Sociable animals maintain close social contacts. They build their homes together, make provisions for the winter, play or clean each other's fur.

LIVING TOGETHER IN CITIES

Thousands of prairie dogs live in giant underground cities with an extensive network of dwellings. Inside the city, each prairie dog family, consisting of a male, one to four females and young animals, lives in its own burrow. When the young leave the nest, the females often remain nearby while the males dig their own home away to the side or occupy an abandoned apartment. As harmoniously as families live, pregnant females and new mothers behave just as aggressively. After mating, a fight begins among expectant mothers for the best underground burrows. 34-37 days after mating, each female gives birth to four to six cubs, which are born naked, blind and deaf. Many cubs fall prey to other mothers who keep rivals from raising young in order to improve the chances of survival for their own offspring. After the cub stops feeding on milk, the mother returns to her relatives.

VIGILANCE IS AN ESSENTIAL NEED

Black-tailed prairie dogs provide a good source of food for many carnivores. In order to protect themselves from them, prairie dogs guard the entrances to their homes around the clock. Sitting on their hind legs and dangling their front legs, the “sentinels” observe the surroundings and, in case of danger, burst into a sharp, annoying bark, which forces all relatives to hide in their homes.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF

Black-tailed prairie dog ( Cynomys ludovicianus)

Class mammals.
Squad of rodents.
Squirrel family.
Distribution: North America.
Body length with head: 28-35 cm weight: 900-1400 g.
Diet: Mainly herbs.
Puberty: from 2-3 years.
Duration of pregnancy: 34-37 days.
Number of cubs: 4-6.
Life expectancy: over 8 years (in captivity and reserves).

Close relative the Central Asian hamster, unfortunately, can be very rarely found in Central Europe. Despite this, the common hamster...

An amateur, hearing the phrase “prairie dogs,” will think that we are talking about a dog breed unfamiliar to him. In fact, these are rodents that are related to dogs by making a sound similar to barking when in danger.

Description of prairie dogs

Dog mouse - this is roughly how (taking into account the ancient Greek roots) the scientific name of the species Cynomys is translated. The rodents are members of the squirrel family, but they look more like marmots, both in appearance and in their habit of standing upright on their hind legs.

Appearance

An adult prairie dog grows to 30–38 centimeters with a weight of 1–1.5 kg (sometimes a little more), and males are always larger and heavier than females. The animal, indeed, is very similar to a marmot in the outline of its dense body and camouflage (to match the color of the area) coloring: the back is often dirty yellow or yellowish-gray with a lighter shade of the belly. The fur on the rounded head is somewhat darker than the general background of the body, and white streaks are noticeable on the muzzle, especially bright in the area of ​​the chin and nose.

The rodent has large cheek teeth and relatively narrow upper incisors: if necessary, food is placed in small cheek pouches. Prairie dogs' ears are so compact that they are almost indistinguishable under their fur. The eyes are quite large, dark and wide-set, which allows for full observation of the surroundings. The limbs end in grasping fingers with long claws, sharp and hard. The third toe protrudes forward on the front paws. Hair grows on the soles of the paws. The tail is well-furred, but not long (about 4–11 cm), and its color is close to that of the whole body.

Lifestyle

Prairie dogs are especially active during daylight hours - during the day they obtain food, arrange their homes, and communicate with relatives. Like marmots and gophers, they like to stand up on their hind legs to survey their surroundings.

Social structure

Colonies of these rodents number several thousand animals with an average density of more than three individuals per hectare, and a maximum density of more than eight. The colony is divided into family groups, which include a pair of males, three to five females and their cubs (from 6 to 30). Peace and harmony reign within the family - when they meet, the animals sniff each other, and when they recognize them, they often begin to mutually clean their fur.

This is interesting! Each family clan respects the inviolability of its possessions and, when a stranger appears, organizes a border conflict. The winner of the internecine dispute gets the opportunity to expand his plot (by no more than a meter).

There is always a guard near the hole, who is obliged to notify relatives of the danger in time. It may be a whistle or a bark-like sound. Depending on the nature of the sound signal, prairie dogs prepare to repel the enemy’s onslaught or rush headlong into their native holes. Most rodents hibernate in late July - early August, awakening only in February - March.

Underground communications

Prairie dog burrows are intricately designed and extremely deep, often going down 3–5 m.. Each burrow (approximately 15 cm in diameter) branches into a system of bizarre tunnels with steep slopes and gradual leveling. Rodents' underground communications are so reliable that they are completely protected from sudden flooding during the rainy season and collapses.

On an area of ​​1 hectare, you can count up to 54 burrow holes leading to the housing of prairie dogs. According to zoologists, the length of one burrow with all its tunnels is over 300 meters, although the above-ground area of ​​a family plot, as a rule, does not exceed several square meters.

Important! Underground rooms have different purposes - some are adapted for storage rooms, others serve as birth chambers, others serve as bunkers for rescue from a flood or predators.

A separate hole is dug away from the main housing for the discharge of natural needs: it is used until it overflows with feces. If the toilet cannot be cleaned, it is buried and a new place is found for it.

Lifespan

It is believed that prairie dogs live for an extremely long time in captivity - at least 11 years at good care. In nature, the lifespan of an animal is much shorter: the female lives up to 8 years, the male - only up to five.

Types of prairie dogs

Although the species are difficult to distinguish, it is customary to speak of five species of prairie dogs:

• Cynomys gunnisoni – Gunnison's prairie dog;
• Cynomys ludovicianus – black-tailed prairie dog;
• Cynomys leucurus – white-tailed prairie dog;
• Cynomys parvidens – Utah prairie dog;
• Cynomys mexicanus - Mexican prairie dog.

Rodent species differ in the way they sound an alert and in some morphological features, for example, the size and shape of molars. The tip of the tail of Mexican and black-tailed prairie dogs is black, while the tip of the other species is white.

This is interesting! Not all rodents sleep in winter: the black-tailed prairie dog displays year-round alertness, calmly traveling through snow cover. But the white-tailed prairie dog goes into the arms of Morpheus for almost six months.

Range, habitats

Prairie dogs are native fauna North America, more precisely, its endless prairies. The range of rodents begins from southern regions the Canadian province of Saskatchewan and covers several US states - North and South Dakota, Kansas, Texas, Wyoming, Utah, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Montana, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona.

Prairie dogs are also found in several regions of Northern/Central Mexico. Rodents make their homes in steppe and semi-desert zones, where there is very little vegetation. They are not afraid of heights - animals have been seen in mountainous areas (above 3 km above sea level).

Diet of prairie dogs

Rodents' food supply is predominantly plant-based, but sometimes they treat themselves to animal protein by eating steppe insects. When going in search of food, they stay close to their burrows. The fact that prairie dogs have settled in the prairie can be seen in the fairly balding soil: rodents thoroughly thin out the grass growing on it so that it does not block the view.

Natural enemies

Prairie dogs are hunted by many carnivores, such as:

• black-footed ferret;
• badger;
• coyote;
• hawk;
• Mexican falcon;
• cave owl.

Also, unruly rodents often end up in the stomachs of rattlesnakes.

Reproduction and offspring

There is little data on prairie dog mating. Thus, it is known that their mating season occurs once a year and ends (with successful fertilization) with a single litter. The female bears offspring for about a month (from 28 to 32 days), giving birth in the spring (in March, April or May) to 2–10 blind babies. They begin to mature at about 33–37 days, and upon reaching the age of 7 weeks they already become independent and begin to crawl out of the hole.

Important! Young animals reach fertility quite late, usually no earlier than 3 years. Naturalists have noticed that often it is the older generation of rodents that leaves their inhabited burrows, leaving behind the “youth”.

Grown-up males and females try to expand their living space at the expense of their neighbors, encroaching on their boundaries, or go in search of free plots. Here they settle in, dig their own holes and cooperate in their family clan.

Population and species status

According to some reports, a very long time ago there were much more prairie dogs on the planet than people, but the latter were quite successful in reducing the number of rodents. North American farmers began their ruthless extermination, believing that the rodents were eating vegetation intended for livestock. The following shocking figures were released: in 1905, the population of prairie dogs living in Texas numbered about 800 million animals, but by the end of the century their number had dropped to 2.2 million.

The reason for the decline is the intensive development of the prairies, and in particular, their plowing. The destruction of prairie dogs could not but affect the number of other animals living on the prairies. Predators lost their usual food supply (numerous rodents), and herbivores lost the ingenious shelters that prairie dogs provided them free of charge.

Prairie dogs (lat. Cynomys) are considered typical inhabitants of the plains located in the western part. Funny animals belong to the squirrel family. Before the development of grass-covered territories began, the number of animals living within these boundaries reached 100 million individuals.

Sociable rodents live in families (up to 20 individuals), united in large colonies. Their presence is revealed by heaps of earth thrown out of the holes, forming a ring shaft near the entrance. In the underground settlement, each family is allocated a separate plot. Adult males successfully cope with the role of protectors, protecting the family from the encroachments of neighbors. Special attention focused on maintaining a strict hierarchy. Each animal performs certain functions.

Externally, prairie dogs resemble gophers. The name is associated with characteristic features behavior. Animals coming to the surface make sounds similar to abrupt barks. Each cry is accompanied by tail beats. The animals inform each other about the approaching danger, after which they disappear into their burrows. They have enough enemies. On land, rodents are attacked by snakes, badgers, coyotes and foxes. Animals are being chased from the sky predator birds(hawks, golden eagles, falcons).

The plowing of the prairies was marked by the displacement of prairie dogs from the occupied territories. The individuals living in the pastures were exterminated by cowboys and shepherds. The latter hated rodents because horses and cattle they broke their legs in burrows located at a distance of 1-5 m from the surface. Food competition also contributed to the aggravation of the situation. The animals devoured flowers, plant seeds, buds and shoots that were used as food for domestic animals. Grasses make up 3/4 of the prairie dog's diet. The rest is allocated to fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. They also do not disdain worms and insects, although such preferences are not typical for rodents.

Currently, prairie dogs can only be found in protected areas. Some ranchers do not exploit colonial land. The scale of extermination is most eloquently evidenced by the fact that today less than 2% of individuals from the once large population remain.

In addition to the Utah and Mexican prairie dogs, there are 3 other varieties: the white-tailed, black-tailed and Gunnison prairie dogs. IN wildlife animals live up to 5-8 years. Activity is shown in daytime days.

Black-tailed representatives are kept as pets. Adults do not exceed 30-38 cm in length, and their weight ranges from 1-2 kg. The color is dominated by pale brown and brownish-gray shades. The short paws are equipped with hard, sharp claws adapted for digging underground passages. The length of the latter can reach 300 m. Small ears are almost invisible on the rounded wide head, in the upper part of which there are black eyes.

Unlike white-tailed relatives that hibernate for six months, black-tailed individuals are active throughout the year. IN natural conditions clean animals go to the toilet in specially dug holes. After filling the niches with excrement, the animals begin to dig new holes.

Sexual maturity occurs at the end of the first winter. Often, females give birth to no more than one brood per year, in which there are from 4 to 6 cubs. The breeding season is limited to March-early April. The duration of pregnancy does not exceed 30-35 days. Naked babies born are absolutely helpless. Their eyes are closed. After six weeks, the crumbs emerge from the ground. Their first forays occur in May-June. It is during this period that females stop feeding. Stronger young people have to switch to plant food.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.