#0086 · 🦊 mammals

Black-tailed Prairie Dog

🇳🇱 Zwartstaartprairiehond ·Cynomys ludovicianus

LCleast concern 🦊 Mammals 📍 in Europe, not in NL

9 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

what is it?

The black-tailed prairie dog ( Cynomys ludovicianus ), is a rodent of the family Sciuridae found in the Great Plains of North America from about the United States-Canada border to the United States-Mexico border. Unlike some other prairie dogs, these animals do not truly hibernate. The black-tailed prairie dog can be seen above ground in midwinter. A black-tailed prairie dog town in Texas was reported to cover 25,000 sq mi (64,000 km2) and included 400,000,000 individuals. Prior to habitat destruction, this...

base stats

NL sightings 0iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 18,815iNaturalist observations
weight 15 gadult, up to
threat LCleast concern

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

No confirmed wild sightings in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: you'd have to travel for this one.
18,815 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Weighs only about 15 g.
Scientifically named by George Ord in 1815 (211 years ago).