White-Tailed Prairie Dog
EntdeckenSäugetiere
White-Tailed Prairie Dog
cynomys leucurus
The White-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys leucurus) is a charismatic burrowing rodent native to the high-elevation shrub-steppes and mountain valleys of the western United States. Unlike their famous black-tailed cousins, these industrious mammals live at higher, colder elevations and spend up to half the year in deep underground hibernation. They are crucial ecosystem engineers, creating extensive burrow networks that provide essential shelter for dozens of other animal species while churned soil from their digging promotes diverse, nutrient-rich plant growth. Though they are social animals that form family groups, their colonies are typically less densely packed than those of low-elevation species, reflecting the harsher and more dispersed resources of their montane environment.
Lebensraum: Found in high-altitude shrub-steppes, sagebrush plains, and dry mountain valleys of the western United States.
Aussehen
Easily distinguished from other prairie dogs by the distinct white tip on their short tails, Cynomys leucurus has a stocky, robust body covered in tawny, yellowish-brown fur mixed with black-tipped hairs. They feature large dark eyes bordered by pale rings, short rounded ears, and buff-colored underparts. Adult lengths range from 33 to 40 centimeters, and they undergo significant seasonal weight fluctuations, appearing plump and round in late summer as they build up fat reserves for winter hibernation.
ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseMammaliaOrdnungRodentiaFamilieSciuridaeGattungCynomys
Kategorie
SäugetiereSeltenheit
Common
Gefahr
1/5 · Sehr gering
Snaps
Mach den ersten Snap!
Interessante Fakten
They are considered a keystone species because their abandoned burrows provide critical homes for burrowing owls, rabbits, and tiger salamanders.
When giving their signature alarm call, they perform a physical 'jump-yip' where they throw their forepaws into the air and stretch their bodies upright.
White-tailed prairie dogs hibernate for up to seven months of the year, which is significantly longer than their non-hibernating black-tailed relatives.
Besondere Fähigkeiten
Fähigkeit
Deep Torpor Hibernation
To survive the freezing winters of their high-elevation habitats, they enter deep hibernation from late autumn to early spring, dramatically lowering their metabolic rate and relying entirely on stored body fat.
Fähigkeit
Vocal Warning System
They possess a complex vocal communication network, utilizing unique, high-pitched barks to alert colony members of specific incoming predators, distinguishing between aerial threats like hawks and terrestrial ones like badgers.
Fähigkeit
Subterranean Engineering
Using strong claws and powerful limbs, they construct elaborate multi-chambered burrow systems with specialized zones for nesting, nursery care, and waste disposal.
Maße und Details
- Länge
- 33-40 cm
- Gewicht
- 0.6-1.7 kg
- Lebenserwartung
- 3-7 Jahre
- Top Speed
- 24 km/h
- Gelegegröße
- 2-8
- Brutzeit
- 28-30 Tage
Ernährung und Fütterung
Primarily feeds on a variety of grasses, forbs, and sagebrush, shifting to nutritious seeds and flowers during the late summer to accumulate fat reserves before hibernation.
Altersunterschiede: Juveniles initially consume soft fresh shoots and grasses before transitioning to the harder seeds and fibrous plants eaten by adults.
Hauptnahrung
- Sedge grasses
- Sagebrush
- Saltbush seeds
- Forb leaves
- Dandelion flowers
Nahrungssuche
- Grazing
Ökologische Zusammenhänge
eaten by
Black-footed ferret
Mustela nigripes
A primary prey item for this endangered specialist predator, which also uses prairie dog burrows for shelter.
eaten by
Golden Eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
An apex aerial predator that frequently hunts prairie dogs across open shrub-steppes.
competitor
Wyoming Ground Squirrel
Urocitellus elegans
Competes directly for forage and territory in high-elevation grassland borders.
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Sicherheit
Gefahr
1/5 · Sehr gering
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Häufig gestellte Fragen
Wie identifiziert man White-Tailed Prairie Dog?
Der einfachste Weg, White-Tailed Prairie Dog zu bestimmen, ist die Verwendung der Naturführer-App Snappit.
Was ist der/die/das länge von White-Tailed Prairie Dog?
33-40 cm
Was ist der/die/das gewicht von White-Tailed Prairie Dog?
0.6-1.7 kg
Was ist der/die/das lebenserwartung von White-Tailed Prairie Dog?
3-7 Jahre
Was ist der/die/das top Speed von White-Tailed Prairie Dog?
24 km/h
Was frisst White-Tailed Prairie Dog?
Primarily feeds on a variety of grasses, forbs, and sagebrush, shifting to nutritious seeds and flowers during the late summer to accumulate fat reserves before hibernation.
Wo findet man White-Tailed Prairie Dog normalerweise?
Found in high-altitude shrub-steppes, sagebrush plains, and dry mountain valleys of the western United States.
Wie jagt White-Tailed Prairie Dog?
Grazing
Snap-Karte
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