Prairie Dog Pups Pop Up at Maryland Zoo

The Prairie Dog habitat at the Maryland Zoo is popping with pups –
literally! The staff reports that new
pups are poking their little heads out of their burrows daily. They’ve counted 17 so far.

Black-tailed Prairie Dogs live a social life. These rodents live in family groups
called coteries, and many coteries group together form a colony or town of Prairie Dogs. Members of a family group communicate
constantly, often by “kissing” or grooming each other.

Photo Credit: Maryland Zoo

Native to the North American plains,
Prairie Dogs are often considered pests by ranchers and farmers because they
eat grasses and disturb fields. But
studies show that Prairie Dogs are an important prey species that plays a
crucial role in the grassland ecosystem. They are
the primary food source of endangered Black-footed Ferrets, whose decline is
associated with the extermination of Prairie Dogs in parts of the American West.

See more Prairie Dog pups below the fold.