Black-tailed Prairie Dog
(Click on thumbnail for full photo)
The prairie dog species found in the Badlands is the black-tailed prairie dog, which also happens to be the most common prairie dog species overall. Prairie dogs tend to be around 14-17 inches in length and weigh 1-3 pounds each.
Prairie dogs are members of the Scuiridae (squirrel) family and are related to other members of the Scuiridae family like ground squirrels and chipmunks, both of which live in Badlands National Park.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Photo 1
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Photo 2
Prairie dogs live in underground colonies sometimes referred to as “towns,” like Robert’s Prairie Dog Town on Badlands Loop Road. Prairie dogs build their homes underground to protect against predation and flash flooding. These colonies can be massive, with the largest ever recorded prairie dog town encompassing 25,000 square miles – an area greater than the state of West Virginia. However big a prairie dog town may be, it is likely to be equally as complex. Prairie dog towns are divided up into different units with different purposes.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Photo 4
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Photo 5
A coterie is a unit of a prairie dog town encompassing about 1 acre. A coterie typically has 50-60 entrance points and belongs to a single family of prairie dogs, including an adult male, many adult females, and their offspring. Members of the same coterie will kiss or sniff upon identifying each other. Prairie dog towns may also include side chambers for use as a sleeping space or storage room and back doors for extra escape routes.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Photo 6
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Photo 7
A prairie dog’s life includes many different activities. Their days are typically spent eating, keeping an eye out for predators, building new burrows, or maintaining existing ones.
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Photo 8
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Photo 9
Black-tailed Prairie Dog 10
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Photo 11