Table of Contents
How fast do prairie dogs reproduce?
once a year
In contrast with popular perceptions of prairie dogs as fast-multiplying rodents, these animals actually mate just once a year, in early winter. Females go into estrus for a single hour. They then have litters of three to eight pups—usually only half of which survive their first year.
Why are prairie dogs considered a keystone species?
Prairie dogs are considered a “keystone” species because their colonies create islands of habitat that benefit approximately 150 other species. Many species, like black-footed ferrets, use their burrows as homes. Prairie dogs even help aerate and fertilize the soil, allowing a greater diversity of plants to thrive.
How do prairie dogs mate?
As part of their genus-wide template, prairie dogs exhibit a harem-polygynous mating system, wherein a single dominant male has exclusive access to a group of reproductive females and will copulate with multiple females in a single mating season.
What kind of habitat does a prairie dog live in?
The most frequently occupied habitat in Montana is dominated by western wheatgrass, blue grama and big sagebrush (Montana Prairie Dog Working Group 2002). Colonies are associated with silty clay loams, sandy clay loams, and loams (Thorp 1949, Bonham and Lerwick 1976, Klatt and Hein 1978, Agnew et al.
How big does a black tailed prairie dog get?
General Description The Black-tailed Prairie Dog is the largest of the prairie dog species, weighing 700 to 1500 grams and measuring 28 to 33 centimeters from nose to tail (Burt and Grossenheider 1976, Hoogland and Foltz 1982).
When does a black tailed prairie dog migrate?
Migration Black-tailed Prairie Dogs are not known to migrate, but young animals, primarily males, disperse from their natal burrows in May or June shortly after emerging from hibernation (Garrett and Franklin 1988). Males also disperse from their breeding territory after 2 years to avoid inbreeding with their two year old daughters (Hoogland 1995).
Where do black tailed prairie dogs live in Montana?
Black-tailed Prairie Dog colonies are found on flat, open grasslands and shrub/grasslands with low, relatively sparse vegetation. The most frequently occupied habitat in Montana is dominated by western wheatgrass, blue grama and big sagebrush (Montana Prairie Dog Working Group 2002).