The Mexican prairie dog (Cynomys mexicanus) is a burrowing rodent native to Mexico. They are closely related to squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots. Mexican prairie dogs originated about 230,000 years ago from a peripherally isolated population of the more widespread Black-tailed prairie dog.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Highly socialHighly social animals are those which are highly interactive with other members of their species. They live in large groups, nest in colonies, and ...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withMexican prairie dogs are yellowish in color with darker ears and a lighter belly. Adults weigh about 1 kg (2.2 lb) and are 35-43 cm (14-17 inches) long. Males of this species are larger than females.
Mexican prairie dogs are found in the regions of southern Coahuila and northern San Luis Potosí in northern Mexico. They live in rock-free soil in plains and plateaus which are usually found in valleys.
Mexican prairie dogs are diurnal and spend daylight hours above the ground. They live in excavated colonies, called "towns", which they dig for shelter and protection. A typical town has a funnel-like entrance that slants down into a corridor up to 100 ft (30 m) long, with side chambers for storage and nesting. Some chambers in these burrows serve specific purposes such as nurseries for new mothers and their young. Prairie dogs have strong muscles in their arms which allow them to dig through the often dense dirt of their habitats. They have even been found to use their teeth to dig, although this is less common. Towns can contain hundreds of prairie dogs, but generally have fewer than 50, with a single alpha male. Sometimes, Spotted ground squirrels or Burrowing owls share the burrow with its rightful owners. Prairie dogs communicate with high-pitched yips and barks. They can run up to 56 kilometers per hour (35 miles per hour). As a consequence, their defense mechanism is to sound the alarm, and then get away quickly.
Mexican prairie dogs are herbivores (folivores, graminivores) and eat herbs and grasses native to the plains where they live. They acquire all of their water from these plants. Although mainly herbivores, they may sometimes consume insects.
Mexican prairie dogs are polygynous meaning that one male mates with more than one female during the breeding season. Their mating season generally lasts from January to April. After one month's gestation, females give birth to one litter per year, an average of 4 hairless pups. They are born with their eyes closed and use their tails as visual aids until they can see, about 40 days after birth. Weaning occurs during late May and early June, when yearlings may break away from the burrow. Pups leave their mothers by fall. As they grow older, young play fighting games that involve biting, hissing, and tackling. They become reproductively mature after one year of age.
Viewed as a pest and an obstacle to agriculture and cattle raising due to their burrowing and frequent consumption of crops, Mexican prairie dogs were frequently poisoned, and became endangered in 1994. They currently inhabit less than 4% of their former territory and have suffered a 33% decrease in the range between 1996 and 1999.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Mexican prairie dog total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are decreasing.
