Animals

Prairie Dog

Cynomys ludovicianus

The black-tailed prairie dog is the most common prairie dog species in the Chihuahuan Desert. Prairie dogs are a “keystone species” because their extensive burrows benefit over 100 species of wildlife including insects, snakes, lizards, Burrowing Owls, Golden Eagles, badgers and coyotes.

Fun Facts

Classification

Class: Mammalia

Order: Rodentia

Family: Sciuridae

Genus: Cynomys

Species: C. ludovicianus

Habitat

Black-tailed prairie dogs are native to grassland habitats in North America. They inhabit shortgrass prairie, mixed-grass prairie, sagebrush steppe, and desert grassland.