
Black-tailed Prairie Dog Images, Facts and Information:
Cynomys ludovicianus
- Black-tailed Prairie Dogs are small, burrowing rodents with tan to light brown fur, a short, black-tipped tail, small rounded ears, large dark eyes, and strong claws for digging. Males are slightly larger than females.
- Black-tailed Prairie Dogs are native to the grasslands of North America, ranging from southern Canada through the central United States and into northern Mexico.
- Black-tailed Prairie Dogs thrive in open prairies, grasslands, and plains with short to mid-height grasses, often forming large colonies known as “towns.”
- Black-tailed Prairie Dogs primarily eat grasses, seeds, roots, and occasionally insects.
- Black-tailed Prairie Dogs breed once a year. Females give birth to 3 to 8 pups after a gestation of about 34 days. The young are born blind and hairless, and are cared for in underground burrows.
- Black-tailed Prairie Dogs are highly social and communicate with a complex system of barks, chirps, and calls.
- A group of prairie dogs is called a “coterie” or a “town.”
- The oldest known Black-tailed Prairie Dog in captivity lived to be 8 years old, though wild individuals typically live 3 to 5 years.
I hope you enjoy viewing my Black-tailed Prairie Dog photos.
Adult Black-tailed Prairie Dog walking through blooming wildflowers
Title: Adult Black-tailed Prairie Dog walking through blooming wildflowers
Location: Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma
Date: 05/14/2025
Black-tailed Prairie Dog family at their burrow
Title: Black-tailed Prairie Dog family at their burrow
Location: Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma
Date: 05/14/2025
Resting adult Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Title: Resting adult Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Location: Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma
Date: 05/14/2025
Adult Black-tailed Prairie Dog with three pups at their burrow
Title: Adult Black-tailed Prairie Dog with three pups at their burrow
Location: Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma
Date: 05/14/2025
Adult Black-tailed Prairie Dog with one of their pups
Title: Adult Black-tailed Prairie Dog with one of their pups
Location: Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma
Date: 05/14/2025
Alert Black-tailed Prairie Dog adult at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge
Title: Alert Black-tailed Prairie Dog adult at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge
Location: Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma
Date: 05/14/2025
Baby Black-tailed Prairie Dog at its burrow
Title: Baby Black-tailed Prairie Dog at its burrow
Location: Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma
Date: 05/14/2025
Adult Black-tailed Prairie Dog in a field of blooming wildflowers
Title: Adult Black-tailed Prairie Dog in a field of blooming wildflowers
Location: Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma
Date: 05/14/2025
Black-tailed Prairie Dog pup and parent at their burrow
Title: Black-tailed Prairie Dog pup and parent at their burrow
Location: Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma
Date: 05/14/2025
Black-tailed Prairie Dog and baby at their burrow
Title: Black-tailed Prairie Dog and baby at their burrow
Location: Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, Comanche County, Oklahoma
Date: 05/14/2025