Unit 1: Introduction

Black-tailed prairie dogs are not "dogs" at all. They're burrowing, herbivorous animals who belong to the squirrel family. There are five species of prairie dogs: white-tailed, Utah, Gunnison's, Mexican, and black-tailed. Black-tailed prairie dogs are distinct in their appearance and habitat. Black-tailed prairie dogs tend to be somewhat larger than the other species and have a longer tail with a black tip.

Although all prairie dogs live on western North American grasslands, black-tailed prairie dogs occupy short- and mixed-grass prairies in a belt that runs north-south along the eastern side of the Rocky Mountain range (from northern Canada to southern Mexico).

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