Fact File
Class: Mammal
Family: Sciuridae (Squirrels)
Found: Rest Of The World
Size: 35-42 cm
Weight: 575 -1400g
Diet: Omnivore (Eats Plants & Meat)
Gestation: 33-38 days
Conservation Status: LC
Black-Tailed Prairie Marmot
Cynomys ludovicianus
Habitat: The black-tailed prairie dog lives in burrows in dry, short-grass prairies.
Threats: Prairie dogs have suffered from habitat loss and persecution as ranching and farming has expanded during the past 50 years or more. Prairie dogs are widely considered a pest and exterminated through poisoning and shooting for destroying cultivated crops. As a result, the range and numbers have been dramatically reduced. The reduction in numbers has also seriously threatened other animals – like the black-footed ferret now classified as Extinct in the Wild, who fed on the marmot.
Range: Found from extreme south-central Canada, through the United States, and into north-eastern Mexico.
Information: Cynomys ludovicianus varies in length between 352 and 415 mm. Males tend to be longer and 10 to 15% heavier than females, weighing in between 850 and 1,675 g. Weight varies seasonally, with both males and females reaching their highest weights in the autumn, and lowest in winter. Black-tailed Prairie Dogs are generally tan in colour, with a lighter coloured belly. Their tail has a black tip on it, which is where their name comes from. They have small ears, but keen hearing, and small, dark eyes, with good vision.
