Mexican Prairie Dog

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iMexican Prairie Dog
Conservation status
Endangered (EN)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae Genus: Cynomys Species: C. mexicanus
Binomial name
Cynomys mexicanus Merriam, 1892

The Mexican prairie dog (Cynomys mexicanus) is a diurnal burrowing rodent native to Mexico. Treatment as an agricultural pest has led to its status as an endangered species. They are closely related to squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots.

Contents 1 Habitat and diet 2 Lifecycle and behavior 3 Social structure 4 Decline of population 5 External references 6 References

[edit] Habitat and diet

These prairie dogs prefer to inhabit rock-free soil in plains with an altitude of 1600-2200 meters (5250-7200 feet). They are found in the regions of southern Coahuila and northern San Luis Potosi in northern Mexico, where they eat herbs and grasses native to the plains where they live. They acquire all of their water from these plants. Although mainly herbivores, they have been known to eat insects or (very rarely) each other.

Predators include coyotes, bobcats, eagles, hawks, badgers and weasels.

[edit] Lifecycle and behavior

Northern prairie dogs hibernate and have a shorter mating season, which generally lasts from January to April. After one month's gestation, females give birth to one litter per year, an average of four hairless pups. They are born with eyes closed and use their tails as visual aids until they can see, about 40 days after birth. Weaning occurs during late May and early June, when yearlings may break away from the burrow. Pups leave their mothers by fall.

As they grow older, young play fighting games that involve biting, hissing, and tackling. They reach sexual maturity after one year, with a lifespan of 3-5 years; adults weigh about 1 kg (2.2 lb) and are 14-17 inches long, and males are larger than females. Their coloring is yellowish, with darker ears and a lighter belly.

Prairie dogs have one of the most sophisticated languages in the animal world — a system of high-pitched yips and barks — and can run up to 35 miles per hour (55 km/h). As a consequence, their defense mechanism is to sound the alarm and then get away quickly.

[edit] Social structure

Mexican Prairie Dogs live in excavated colonies referred to as "towns", where they burrow for shelter and protection. A typical town has a funnel-like entrance that slants into a corridor up to 100 feet long, with side chambers for storage or nesting.

Towns can contain hundreds of animals but generally have less than 50, with a single alpha male. Sometimes spotted ground squirrels or burrowing owls will share a burrow.

[edit] Decline of population

The Mexican Prairie Dog was first reported in 1956. By the 1980s its habitat was less than 800 km² (310 sq mi). Viewed as a pest and an obstacle to agriculture and cattle raising, it was frequently poisoned, and became endangered in 1994. Mexican Prairie Dogs currently inhabit less than 2% of their former territory.

[edit] External references

• ARKive - images and movies of the Mexican prairie dog (Cynomys mexicanus)
• Animal Info: Mexican Prairie Dog
• DesertUSA: Prairie Dogs

[edit] References

• Baillie (1996). Cynomys mexicanus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Endangered (EN A1cd v2.3)