Squirrels

Prairie dogs are species of ground-living herbivores in the genus Cynomys, occurring in open, arid prairie and grasslands of North America. Prairie dogs are highly social, living in complexes of burrows known as towns, which can contain thousands of animals. Within these larger populations, the social structure involves smaller family units known as coteries, each of which includes a breeding male, a harem of females, and immature youngsters. Prairie dogs feed on many species of plants, and because of the large population densities in their towns, they can greatly change the nature of the vegetation in their habitat.

The most widespread species is the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) of dry prairies from southern Saskatchewan to northern Mexico. The whitetailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus) occurs in grasslands of upland plateaus at higher elevation, in Colorado, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming.