George Martin, age 10, of Louisville, Kentucky, for his question:
How does a prairie dog live?
The prairie dog is classed as a ground squirrel because he lives in underground burrows, sharing his life with numerous friends and relatives in prairie dog towns. Their towns are more sensibly run than some of our sloppy human towns. They are neat and tidy and certainly the charming creatures do not commit crimes against each other.
His native home is the prairie lands of North America. There, through countless ages, he lived a carefree life, until the white people arrived. The pioneers named him the prairie dog when they crossed the continent in their covered wagons. Often they stopped to enjoy the antics of a prairie dog town.
In those days, some of the prairie dog towns ran for a hundred miles or more. Naturally the streets and homes were underground burrows and nests though the furry little city dwellers came to the surface to feed on prairie grasses. In 1901, the population of one of these communities was estimated to be around four million not counting the burrowing owls and other welcome and unwelcome guests.
The average prairie dog is a fat ground squirrel with sturdy digging claws and a stubby tail. He is about one foot long, plus a three inch tail and he weighs all of three pounds. His furry coat is cinnamon brown, frosted with white hairs, and there is a sassy black tip to his tail. Though he walks on all fours, he often sits erect. After all, it is important to keep a sharp lookout for owls, coyotes and other hungry predators.
The pioneers thought that the prairie dogs posted sentries. But modern researchers suspect that the role of watch dog is played by any prairie dog who happens to be sitting up and surveying the scenery.
When he spots a suspicious visitor, he yelps a warning to his friends then bolts for his burrow. Just inside his door, there is a small turn around, where he may pause to utter a few more yelps of protest.
His door is crater shaped and his burrow may be 16 feet long.
The female bears her litter in early spring. The helpless babes are blind and bare and weigh a half an ounce apiece. They are blind for more than a month and feed on mother's milk for their first two months. A prairie dog is mature at the age of two and, barring accidents, he can expect a life span of eight years. And his entire life is spent in a sociable community, with numerous friends and relatives.
Nowadays the prairies belong to our domestic animals and food on the range is limited. It is estimated that 250 prairie dogs consume as much as a cow and 30 of them eat enough to feed a sheep. Hence, these charming little ground squirrels have been driven from much of their ancient homeland. Their numbers are greatly reduced and, though some prairie dog towns still exist, the enormous communities they occupied in the past have gone.