| White-tailed prairie dogs are threatened in many places because they have been the target of pest control programs. They live in burrow colonies made up of groups of females and young. Males have few group interactions. They set up their own territories, which they defend throughout the year, but allow females to enter during the breeding season. Badgers, coyotes, bobcats, weasels, foxes, black-footed ferrets, eagles, and hawks all prey upon white-tailed prairie dogs.
Sexual Dimorphism:
Males are larger than females.
Length:
Average:
366.6 mm males; 348.8 mm females
Range:
352-390 mm males; 322-375 mm females
Weight:
Average:
1,239 g males; 868 g females
Range:
850-1,675 g males; 705-1,050 g females
References:
Merriam, C.H., 1890. Description of a new prairie dog from Wyoming, p. 33. North American Fauna, 4:33-35.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
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