The prairie dog is a social rodent. Prairie Dogs Bringing a Pet out of Hibernation

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- it looks like a big one. It got its name from characteristic behavior. Coming to the surface, prairie dogs make sharp sounds, reminiscent of jerky barks, and accompany them with light strokes of the tail. Prairie dogs once lived on the prairie North America in huge numbers.

But with the development of untouched plains by European settlers, prosperity prairie dog the end has come. At first, their colonies died under the plow, since prairie dogs cannot live on arable land. Then came the turn of those prairie dogs that lived in the pastures. Shepherds and cowboys hated these animals because in their holes cattle and horses often broke their legs. In addition, prairie dogs were destroyed as competitors of domestic animals. After all, prairie dogs feed on young shoots, buds, flowers and seeds of steppe grasses.

Now prairie dogs survived only on protected areas of the prairies in the driest and most remote regions of North America. In some places there are specially protected colonies of prairie dogs on separate ranches.

Photos will tell more than words.

• KEY FACTS
• Name: Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
• Range: Western United States
• population social group: 10-20 individuals in a coterie; thousands in town
• Pregnancy period: 32 days
• Self-reliance: 6 weeks
• Territory: Up to 400 ha

A vigilant and cautious prairie dog gnaws on a branch of a bush. Her paws are so flexible that the animal can hold a twig as if in a "hand".

Not so long ago, prairie dogs, considered pests of agricultural land, were the object of a large-scale campaign to eradicate them. As a result of such hunting, less than 2% of these animals remain today from the former population of the species.

complex social behavior Prairie dogs are of particular interest to zoologists. Specialists study black-tailed prairie dogs and often cite them as a classic example of successful group coexistence.

Prairie dogs are representatives of the genus of rodents of the squirrel family (for example, common and gray squirrels are their relatives). Usually individuals grow up to 30 cm in length and weigh up to a kilogram; males are larger than females. Prairie dogs have large paws with strong claws adapted for burrowing. These animals are called dogs because they make barking sounds, like puppies. Prairie dogs eat primarily grass and leaves, with a small portion of their diet consisting of insects and worms, although such preferences are unusual for rodents. Science knows five species of these animals, but in this article we will pay attention to the most common species - the black-tailed prairie dog (Supotus ludovicianus).

dog town

Fur greeting and grooming are distinctive behavioral traits of prairie dogs. Majority ground squirrels lives large groups, however, their close relative - the European ground squirrel - prefers a separate hole within the colony.

The entrance to the “urban” prairie dog burrows is funnel-shaped with a very steep descent up to two meters long. The length of the burrow is on average 30 m. Animals fold the excavated soil around the entrance. The formed cone-shaped hill up to 1 m high serves as an observation point and protection from flooding. On average, there are up to 100 such entrances per hectare, which allows dogs to hide in a safe place at any time.

The burrow contains food pantries, living quarters, and other accommodations. All of them are close to the surface, so the dogs always hear if there are predators nearby.

Prairie dog cities have a significant impact on the ecology of the steppes. A wide variety of animals can live in empty burrows, including the rabbit owl and black-footed ferret- Species threatened with extinction. The foraging habits of the blenny also affect vegetation and help curb the growth of shrubs, which is beneficial for grazing livestock.

A family

As a rule, 4-5 cubs are born in dogs every year. Naked and blind newborns remain in the hole for six weeks. At this age, they begin to emerge from the burrow and soon stop feeding on milk. The young remain with the coterie until the age of two, then the males leave and form their own coterie. Females are not in a hurry to leave and breed in the family.

Relationships in the coterie are very close. Family members identify each other through a ritual called the "kiss". Approaching each other with wide open mouths, the animals touch their teeth. A common occurrence among prairie dogs is alternate brushing each other's coats. Females often nurse the babies of their girlfriends. However, males stay away from the nest until the young are a few weeks old. At this time, males usually defend the right to occupy the chosen territory. Fights with residents of other coteries rarely involve physical combat.

A prairie dog keeps watch on a mound of dirt surrounding the entrance to its coterie. Every family has own territory underground, where many individuals live.

Dogs scare each other by clanging their teeth and waving their tails, as well as chasing an opponent.

vigilant sentinel

During the day, the burrow is guarded by one sentry. He stands on a hillock near the entrance to the dwelling, from where he can observe the appearance of danger. The eyes of the animal are located at the top of the head, which provides excellent all-round visibility. When the sentinel detects any threat, he will emit a danger signal similar to barking, thereby warning everyone that it is time to hide in a hole.

It is believed that prairie dogs have one of the most complex languages among all animals. Over 11 different calls have been recorded, indicating the appearance of certain predators nearby. The screams are accompanied by a variety of postures, which allows the surrounding animals to get comprehensive information about the danger. 

What kind of domestic animals today do not live next to a person. Someone gets dogs and cats, but someone prefers the exotic - and even. But, today we will not talk about those, and not about those. We invite you to talk about another contender for a place in your home and heart from the category of rodents. Prairie dogs. Let's get to know them better and find out what is more in them - the habits of dogs or the habits of rodents ...

Description of prairie dogs

Prairie dogs are rodents that belong to the squirrel family. We already wrote about the protein content on our website, therefore, you already have an idea with whom you have to deal. However, prairie dogs are not too similar to squirrels, although this does not prevent them from gaining more and more popularity and love. So, the length of an adult prairie dog reaches 30-38 centimeters, with a weight of 1-2 kilograms. At the same time, males are always heavier and larger than females. The color of fur in prairie dogs can be from brown-gray to light brown. The paws of the dogs are short, have sharp and hard dark claws. The eyes are large, widely spaced for the ability to view in a wide range, the head is wide and rounded, while the color of the fur in the head area is darker than the color of the fur of the body. And, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe eyes and on the cheeks you can see light rings. The tails of rodents are not long, covered with thick hair, and differ in color, depending on the type of prairie dog. The ears of the animals are short and often cannot be seen under the thickness of the fur.

Well, from such a portrait it already becomes clear that this creature is more like a marmot than a squirrel or a dog. But, appearance deceptive.

Prairie Dogs in Nature

These rodents are very unusual and interesting. By the way, they are even called prairie dogs, and all because in the conditions of nature - in the western and central parts of North America, they live on the prairies, where they live in large colonies. By the way, there are as many as 5 species of prairie dogs, and as you may have guessed, different animals live in different areas.

There is the Gunnison prairie dog, white-tailed, black-tailed, Mexican and even Jutsk prairie dog...

Prairie dog burrows

These creatures have vivo habitat is very difficult social structure, which consists of 1 male, several females and their common offspring. Like this big families and prairie dogs live. As for their place of residence, they know how to dig deep holes, which are so well built that they are not afraid of either flooding during the rainy season or shedding sand. These burrows have complex tunnels that run down steep, sloping corridors before leveling off. At the same time, in such holes you can find different rooms - pantries, places where prairie dogs nest, escape from predators or from flooding. According to experts, on average, the length of one such hole with all the tunnels is more than 300 meters.

Prairie dog behavior

Surprisingly, the behavior of prairie dogs makes one think that these creatures are unusually smart. What is the fact that when it sees a predator, the prairie dog makes a loud and sharp sound in order to notify other animals, and only after that it hides in a hole. At the same time, prairie dogs are able to make quite a variety of sounds, thereby warning in different ways about the approach. different types predators that they cannot resist. The only thing left for them is to warn of the approaching danger and escape.

The activity of these animals falls on the daylight hours, while at night, unlike most other rodent species, prairie dogs hide in burrows and sleep. Ah, here is the white-tailed prairie dog, which even hibernates in the winter. She is one of the few of this species who is prone to such long winter sleep.

Can these animals be considered useful? Experts are sure yes. First, prairie dogs are food for many other animals. Secondly, their burrows become a home for other types of animals. And, thirdly, the passages and tunnels of these rodents contribute to the fertilization and ventilation of the soil, and also contribute to the diversity of plants in this area. However, farmers do not really believe in this, and actively exterminate prairie dogs, considering them guilty of a poor harvest.

Prairie dog nutrition

Prairie dogs eat in nature various types plants, sometimes they can eat insects.

Reproduction of prairie dogs

As for the reproduction of rodents in the wild, prairie dogs bring litter every year. Wherein, mating season begins in March-April, and the pregnancy itself lasts 28-32 weeks. From 3 to 8 puppies are born at a time in a litter, but on average 5, puppies are born naked and blind, but their eyes open within 35 days. When the babies are 6 weeks old, they begin to emerge from the hole and become more independent. When the puppies are fully grown, their parents can leave them a hole, and build a new one nearby.

Should you keep a prairie dog at home?

After we have found out how these creatures live in the conditions wildlife, how and what they eat, how they reproduce, the answer to the question of the advisability of keeping a prairie dog at home suggests itself. Moreover, in the countries of Europe and in the USA at one time a ban was imposed on the breeding and trade of prairie dogs. The fact is that in 2003 these large rodents were one of the main culprits of the outbreak of the so-called monkey flu. And, in order to prevent mass infection and the spread of the disease, it was decided to impose a ban on keeping them as pets for the next 5 years. And, although enough time has passed since that moment and the ban seems to have been lifted, think again about whether you can provide a prairie dog comfortable conditions in your home, or it’s better not to torture yourself and not harass your pet, and not risk your health.

If you are not afraid of difficulties, and yet you are eager to get a prairie dog at home, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the main points of keeping it at home. However, we immediately note that to contain such large rodent in captivity is not so easy. This is not for you. The life expectancy of prairie dogs in captivity is up to 7-8 years, subject to good and proper care. It is better to take a puppy, as he quickly gets used to hands and is easy to learn, then you have every chance to raise an affectionate and sociable creature out of him.

Your name prairie dogs received for the manner of calling to one another with sounds reminiscent of the jerky barking of a dog.

HABITAT

Prairie dogs live in burrows. interconnected by an extensive network of underground corridors.

The black-tailed prairie dog inhabits a wide strip of North American prairies from the southern border of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan through the plains of Montana up to the northern borders of Mexico. AT different corners such a vast range reign different climatic conditions- from long and harsh winters in the north to hot dry summers in the south. This species is found not only on low-grass plains, but also in the mountains at an altitude of up to 2000 m above sea level.

LIFESTYLE

Prairie dogs live in colonies in huge underground "cities" covering an area of ​​up to 100 hectares. A typical settlement of these animals is a labyrinth of residential burrows and corridors, spread over thousands of square meters. Several clans live side by side in one colony, each of which usually consists of one adult male, three adult females and six young ones. Clan members move only within their home plot. A neighbor who recklessly stepped into someone else's possessions is immediately attacked, but border disputes never reach the point of bloodshed and are rather ceremonial in nature with a strictly painted "protocol". Having started the duel with mutual attacks, the rivals freeze motionlessly against each other, after which one of them turns around and exposes his anal glands, and the other duelist meticulously sniffs them. Then the animals switch roles. But in the second act of the ritual action, the rivals try to bite each other on the backside. and whoever does it first wins. The defeated enemy goes home, and the life of the clan returns to its usual track. Prairie dogs recognize each other by smell, poking their noses as if exchanging kisses. When two members of the same clan meet, the greeting is often followed by a mutual toilet, and the identified stranger quickly walks away. The basis of the diet of prairie dogs is made up of various herbs, as well as stems, roots and seeds of other plants. The animals do not make stocks and the found food is eaten on the spot. in winter and in early spring they are content with last year's grass and seeds, feast on greens in spring and summer, and in the fall they switch to fat-rich seeds to accumulate energy reserves for the winter, and are occasionally reinforced by insects. AT hibernation prairie dogs do not fall in, but their activity is noticeably reduced. Among the natural enemies of dogs are American ferrets and badgers, coyotes, foxes, lynxes, rattlesnakes and feathered predators.

SECURITY

White settlers who appeared on the American prairies in the 19th century began to exterminate the local fauna with a zeal worthy of best use. Many of them were victims natural enemies prairie dogs, which led to an unprecedented "population explosion" among these rodents. According to some estimates, by the beginning of the 20th century, an area of ​​1000 sq. km. there were 100 million prairie dogs that devastated sown fields and pastures. Settling new lands, farmers waged a fierce struggle with prairie dogs, and soon the entire population of these animals was on the verge of extinction. In turn, the population of American ferrets, having lost their main source of food, was also under threat. Today prairie dogs are taken under protection in national parks; attempts are being made to resettle them in former places a habitat. Scientists hope that these measures will help revive the population of American ferrets.

BREEDING

In March, the dominant male mates in an underground dwelling with all the females of his clan. After 4-5 weeks of pregnancy, the female brings 3-5 blind and naked cubs. During the first month of life, the mother, older brothers and sisters take care of the babies. By the end of the 4th week, the juveniles begin to come to the surface, and the cubs of the older brood leave their native clan and settle somewhere in the neighborhood. Day-to-day kids spend in games under the caring supervision of adults. All females of the same clan feed their own and other offspring, and the cubs often spend the night with the named mother and her offspring. At the age of 7 weeks, milk feeding stops, and young prairie dogs move to fresh greens, along the way getting to know their clan members and the territory they occupy.

Animals reach puberty by about two years of age. A young male can establish his own clan or become the leader of his own clan, expelling the old leader. Young females leave their clan and join the male who has recently acquired his own site.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Underground "cities" of prairie dogs lie at a depth of 1-5 m and occupy an area of ​​up to 3000 m2. Spacious living burrows lined with dry grass are connected by a complex labyrinth of corridors 10-15 cm wide. Entrances to the colony are located on the tops of earthen mounds about 50 cm high.
• Prairie dogs communicate using signal gestures and sounds. They warn each other about approaching danger with abrupt barks and whistles. A special set of voice signals indicates the presence of the owner in a given territory.
• In winter, the body temperature of a prairie dog drops by 2-3 ° C, which allows the animal to reduce energy consumption by almost a third, and in a severe cold, the dog can fall into a stupor for several days.
• Usually, a female prairie dog brings 3-5 cubs, but in some broods there are up to a dozen individuals.
• Prairie dogs, endowed with sharp eyesight, can observe the surroundings, barely putting the top of their head out of the hole, and the surface of their tongue and palms is densely dotted with sensitive tactile receptors.
• Nature provided prairie dogs with a set of 22 sharp incisors, premolars and molars. These animals have no fangs.

RELATED SPECIES

All five known to science prairie dog species inhabit the prairies of North America. Zoologists divide them into two groups. Representatives of two species of the first group have 8 nipples and a black terminal third of the tail, and the second group includes animals with a white tail at the end, having 10 nipples each. All types of prairie dogs are colored the same: grayish-beige, dark brown or black back and light belly. In the 20th century, farmers mercilessly exterminated prairie dogs, rightly considering them pests of crops, and by now the population of these animals has greatly thinned out.

- inhabits vast territories in the states of Colorado. Utah, Wyoming and Montana. The family group consists of a nursing mother with a brood of cubs. For the winter, this rodent hibernates.

utah prairie dog- the smallest representative of prairie dogs. Lives in colonies in southern Utah.

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

LIVING TOGETHER IN CITIES

Prairie dogs live by the thousands in giant underground cities with an extensive network of dwellings. Inside the city, each family of prairie dogs, consisting of a male, one to four females, and young, lives in its own hole. When the young leave the nest, the females often remain in the neighborhood, while the males dig their own housing to the side or occupy an abandoned apartment. How harmoniously families live, pregnant females and newly-made mothers behave just as aggressively. After mating, the fight for the best underground burrows begins among expectant mothers. 34-37 days after mating, each female gives birth to four to six cubs, which are born naked, blind and deaf. Many cubs are preyed upon by alien mothers, who keep rivals from rearing their young in order to improve the chances of survival for their own offspring. After the cub stops eating milk, the mother returns to her relatives.

VIGILANCE IS AN URGENT NEED

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

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF

Black-tailed prairie dog ( Cynomys ludovicianus)

Class Mammals.
Squad of rodents.
The squirrel family.
Distribution: North America.
Body length with head: 28-35 cm weight: 900-1400 g.
Diet: Predominantly herbs.
Sexual maturity: from 2-3 years.
Duration of pregnancy: 34-37 days.
Number of cubs: 4-6.
Life span: over 8 years (in captivity and reserves).

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