Prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus). Herbivorous prairie dogs turned out to be serial killers How to feed a prairie dog at home

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- it looks like a big one. It got its name for its characteristic behavior. Coming to the surface, prairie dogs make sharp sounds, reminiscent of jerky barks, and accompany them with light strokes of the tail. Prairie dogs once lived on the prairie North America in huge numbers.

But with the development of untouched plains by European settlers, prosperity prairie dog the end has come. At first, their colonies died under the plow, since prairie dogs cannot live on arable land. Then came the turn of those prairie dogs that lived in the pastures. Shepherds and cowboys hated these animals because in their holes cattle and horses often broke their legs. In addition, prairie dogs were destroyed as competitors of domestic animals. After all, prairie dogs feed on young shoots, buds, flowers and seeds of steppe grasses.

Now prairie dogs survived only on protected areas of the prairies in the driest and most remote regions of North America. In some places there are specially protected colonies of prairie dogs on separate ranches.

Photos will tell more than words.

Your name prairie dogs received for the manner of calling to one another with sounds reminiscent of the jerky barking of a dog.

HABITAT

Prairie dogs live in burrows. interconnected by an extensive network of underground corridors.

The black-tailed prairie dog inhabits a wide strip of North American prairies from the southern border of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan through the plains of Montana up to the northern borders of Mexico. AT different corners such a vast range reign different climatic conditions- from long and harsh winters in the north to hot dry summers in the south. This species is found not only on low-grass plains, but also in the mountains at an altitude of up to 2000 m above sea level.

LIFESTYLE

Prairie dogs live in colonies in huge underground "cities" covering an area of up to 100 hectares. A typical settlement of these animals is a labyrinth of residential burrows and corridors, spread over thousands of square meters. Several clans live side by side in one colony, each of which usually consists of one adult male, three adult females and six young ones. Clan members move only within their home lot. A neighbor who recklessly stepped into other people's possessions is immediately attacked, but border disputes never reach bloodshed and are rather ceremonial in nature with a strictly painted “protocol”. Having started the duel with mutual assaults, the rivals freeze motionlessly against each other, after which one of them turns around and exposes his anal glands, and the other duelist meticulously sniffs them. Then the animals switch roles. But in the second act of the ritual action, the rivals try to bite each other on the backside. and whoever does it first wins. The defeated enemy goes home, and the life of the clan returns to its usual track. Prairie dogs recognize each other by smell, poking their noses as if exchanging kisses. When two members of the same clan meet, the greeting is often followed by a mutual toilet, and the identified stranger quickly walks away. The basis of the diet of prairie dogs is made up of various herbs, as well as stems, roots and seeds of other plants. The animals do not make stocks and the found food is eaten on the spot. in winter and in early spring they are content with last year's grass and seeds, feast on greens in spring and summer, and switch to fat-rich seeds in autumn to accumulate energy reserves for the winter, and are occasionally reinforced by insects. AT hibernation prairie dogs do not fall in, but their activity is noticeably reduced. Among the natural enemies of dogs are American ferrets and badgers, coyotes, foxes, lynxes, rattlesnakes and raptors.

SECURITY

White settlers who appeared on the American prairies in the 19th century began to exterminate the local fauna with a zeal worthy of best use. Many of them were victims natural enemies prairie dogs, which led to an unprecedented "population explosion" among these rodents. According to some estimates, by the beginning of the 20th century, an area of 1000 sq. km. there were 100 million prairie dogs that devastated sown fields and pastures. Settling new lands, farmers waged a fierce struggle with prairie dogs, and soon the entire population of these animals was on the verge of extinction. In turn, the population of American ferrets, having lost their main source of food, was also under threat. Today prairie dogs are taken under protection in national parks; attempts are being made to resettle them in their former habitats. Scientists hope that these measures will help revive the population of American ferrets.

BREEDING

In March, the dominant male mates in an underground dwelling with all the females of his clan. After 4-5 weeks of pregnancy, the female brings 3-5 blind and naked cubs. During the first month of life, the mother, older brothers and sisters take care of the babies. By the end of the 4th week, the juveniles begin to come to the surface, and the cubs of the older brood leave their native clan and settle somewhere in the neighborhood. Day-to-day kids spend in games under the caring supervision of adults. All females of the same clan feed their own and other offspring, and the cubs often spend the night with the named mother and her offspring. At the age of 7 weeks, milk feeding stops, and young prairie dogs move to fresh greens, along the way getting to know their clan members and the territory they occupy.

Animals reach puberty by about two years of age. A young male can establish his own clan or become the leader of his own clan, expelling the old leader. Young females leave their clan and join the male who has recently acquired his own site.

DID YOU KNOW?

Underground "cities" of prairie dogs lie at a depth of 1-5 m and occupy an area of up to 3000 m2. Spacious living burrows lined with dry grass are connected by a complex labyrinth of corridors 10-15 cm wide. Entrances to the colony are located on the tops of earthen mounds about 50 cm high.
Prairie dogs communicate using signal gestures and sounds. They warn each other about approaching danger with abrupt barks and whistles. A special set of voice signals indicates the presence of the owner in a given territory.
In winter, the body temperature of a prairie dog drops by 2-3 ° C, which allows the animal to reduce energy consumption by almost a third, and in a severe cold, the dog can fall into a stupor for several days.
Usually, a female prairie dog brings 3-5 cubs, but in some broods there are up to a dozen individuals.
Prairie dogs, endowed with keen eyesight, can observe the surroundings, barely putting the top of their heads out of their holes, and the surface of their tongue and palms is densely dotted with sensitive tactile receptors.
Nature provided prairie dogs with a set of 22 sharp incisors, premolars and molars. These animals have no fangs.

RELATED SPECIES

All five known to science prairie dog species inhabit the prairies of North America. Zoologists divide them into two groups. Representatives of two species of the first group have 8 nipples and a black terminal third of the tail, and the second group includes animals with a white tail at the end, having 10 nipples each. All types of prairie dogs are colored the same: grayish-beige, dark brown or black back and light belly. In the 20th century, farmers mercilessly exterminated prairie dogs, rightly considering them pests of crops, and by now the population of these animals has greatly thinned out.

- inhabits vast territories in the states of Colorado. Utah, Wyoming and Montana. The family group consists of a nursing mother with a brood of cubs. For the winter, this rodent hibernates.

utah prairie dog- the smallest representative of prairie dogs. Lives in colonies in southern Utah.

Research in field conditions conducted by biologists at the American Center for Environmental Sciences at the University of Maryland. Data collection took place over several months from 2003 to 2012 in a reserve in Colorado. Here, as well as in Wyoming, Utah and Montana, the white-tailed subspecies of prairie dogs (Cynomys leucurus) lives. These small animals live on the prairies, on dry land covered with short grass. They are active during the day, hiding in their own dug burrows at night. The white-tailed prairie dog differs from its counterparts not only in the color of the tail, but also in the fact that it falls into a semi-annual hibernation. black-tailed prairie dog ( Cynomys ludovicianus), on the contrary, is active all year round and even move in the snow. In order to better understand the life of C. leucurus, scientists literally "lived like them," according to National Geographic. Biologists got up at dawn, occupied observation posts and left them only after the last dog went to sleep in his hole. In 2007, one of the scientists from afar noticed some activity of a prairie dog around another rodent. It has been suggested that this is an adult killing the cub of another dog. In general, this behavior occurs in prairie dogs, but it was not known that white-tailed dogs also hunt this. However, upon closer examination of the victim, scientists made a much more interesting discovery: the carcass belonged to another rodent: the Wyoming ground squirrel (Urocitellus elegans), another member of the squirrel family. Over the next five years, scientists "solved" 101 dog kills of gophers, and another 62 cases are described as "similar". Most of"crimes" were committed in May - during the period when ground squirrels after wintering come out of their burrows for fattening. "Hunters" were adults of both sexes. Meanwhile, prairie dogs do not eat meat at all: they are completely herbivores. According to biologists, destroying equally herbivorous ground squirrels, they are fighting for food. In the world of wildlife, this happens: such herbivorous mammals as rats can kill competitors, but in this case they will not disdain to taste his meat. Prairie dogs, on the other hand, simply left the bodies of the victims without further attention to them. The scientists also found that not all prairie dogs in the study population engage in killing, and those who go on a “hunt” do so with varying intensity. One of the dogs killed nine gophers in four years, while the other killed seven in one day. But it was worth it: it turned out that the cubs of the "killers" grow up stronger and healthier than those of the peace-loving representatives of the population. Thus, this model of behavior, developed under the conditions limited resources, turned out to be viable and did not even require changing the food preferences of herbivores. find out

KEY FACTS
Name: Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus)
Range: Western United States
population social group: 10-20 individuals in a coterie; thousands in town
Pregnancy period: 32 days
Self-reliance: 6 weeks
Territory: Up to 400 ha

A vigilant and cautious prairie dog gnaws on a branch of a bush. Her paws are so flexible that the animal can hold a twig as if in a "hand".

Prairie dogs, which have chosen to live in the western United States, may not be very familiar to most Europeans. In their range, these animals play important role because they significantly affect nature.

Not so long ago, prairie dogs, considered pests of agricultural land, were the subject of a large-scale campaign to eradicate them. As a result of such hunting, less than 2% of these animals remain today from the former population of the species.

complex social behavior Prairie dogs are of particular interest to zoologists. Specialists study black-tailed prairie dogs and often cite them as a classic example of successful group coexistence.

Prairie dogs are representatives of the genus of rodents of the squirrel family (for example, common and gray squirrel- their relatives). Usually individuals grow up to 30 cm in length and weigh up to a kilogram; males larger than females. Prairie dogs have large paws with strong claws adapted for burrowing. These animals are called dogs because they make barking sounds, like puppies. Prairie dogs eat primarily grass and leaves, with a small portion of their diet consisting of insects and worms, although such preferences are unusual for rodents. Science knows five species of these animals, but in this article we will pay attention to the most common species - the black-tailed prairie dog (Supotus ludovicianus).

dog town

Prairie dogs are social animals. They live in colonies (up to several hundred individuals), which are called cities. Such a town is a set of underground burrows, occupying an area of 0.5-400 hectares. Most big town prairie dog was located in Texas. It covered an area of 64,000 sq. km and served as a home for 400 million individuals.

Fur greeting and grooming are distinctive behavioral traits of prairie dogs. Majority ground squirrels lives large groups, but they close relative- European ground squirrel - prefers a separate hole within the colony.

The entrance to the “urban” prairie dog burrows is funnel-shaped with a very steep descent up to two meters long. The length of the burrow is on average 30 m. Animals fold the excavated soil around the entrance. The formed cone-shaped hill up to 1 m high serves as an observation point and protection from flooding. On average, there are up to 100 such entrances per hectare, which allows dogs to hide in a safe place at any time.

The burrow contains food pantries, living quarters, and other accommodations. All of them are close to the surface, so the dogs always hear if there are predators nearby.

Prairie dog cities have a significant impact on the ecology of the steppes. A wide variety of animals can live in empty burrows, including the rabbit owl and black-footed ferret- Species threatened with extinction. The foraging habits of the blenny also affect vegetation and help curb the growth of shrubs, which is beneficial for grazing livestock.

Family

Within the town, the dogs form small family groups called coteries. The coterie consists of one adult male, 3-4 adult females (often relatives) and their offspring for two seasons. Each coterie has a hole and its own territory (up to 0.5 ha) within the town. Males are mainly busy defending their territory.

As a rule, 4-5 cubs are born in dogs every year. Naked and blind newborns remain in the hole for six weeks. At this age, they begin to emerge from the burrow and soon stop feeding on milk. The young remain with the coterie until the age of two, then the males leave and form their own coterie. Females are not in a hurry to leave and breed in the family.

Relationships in the coterie are very close. Family members identify each other through a ritual called the "kiss". Approaching each other with wide open mouths, the animals are in contact with their teeth. A common occurrence among prairie dogs is alternate brushing each other's coats. Females often nurse the babies of their girlfriends. However, males stay away from the nest until the young are a few weeks old. At this time, males usually defend the right to occupy the chosen territory. Fights with residents of other coteries rarely involve physical combat.

A prairie dog keeps watch on a mound of dirt surrounding the entrance to its coterie. Each family has its own territory underground, where many individuals live.

Dogs scare each other by clanging their teeth and waving their tails, as well as chasing an opponent.

vigilant sentinel

One of the features of the behavior of prairie dogs is caution - their main defense against predators. The dogs are active during the day when they are preyed upon by many predators such as coyotes, snakes and birds. When choosing the location of the city, animals prefer open area, because abundant vegetation can interfere with the view. If there is no such territory, they themselves clear a more or less suitable one: they cut the grass, but do not eat it.

During the day, the burrow is guarded by one sentry. He stands on a hillock near the entrance to the dwelling, from where he can observe the appearance of danger. The eyes of the animal are located at the top of the head, which provides excellent all-round visibility. When the sentinel detects any threat, he will emit a danger signal similar to barking, thereby warning everyone that it is time to hide in a hole.

It is believed that prairie dogs have one of the most complex languages among all animals. Over 11 different calls have been recorded, indicating the appearance of certain predators nearby. The screams are accompanied by a variety of postures, which allows the surrounding animals to get comprehensive information about the danger.

Cute prairie dog animals are found only in North America and in some parts of Mexico. This is from the squirrel family. They live in friendly communities on the plains, mountain meadows and semi-deserts.

Outwardly, they look like gophers and marmots. Approximately the same body - 30-35 cm long, short legs and tail. Weight - from 800 g to one and a half kilograms, and males are larger and heavier than females by 10%.

These animals do not settle anywhere in vain, but choose flat and open spaces in order to see unexpected human guests or predators from afar. In the recent past, North American Indians hunted these harmless animals just for fun.

Prairie dog home a complex system burrows and numerous moves. The animals surround the main entrance with a mound of earth, which they carefully tamp down with their noses. Such a high hill protects the dwelling from flooding during the rains, and also serves observation post where it is easy to see the enemy. But every "fire" prairie dog breaks through several emergency passages.

Central entrance to underground dwelling has many branches. Each room is neatly lined with grass and serves a different purpose. There are rooms for storing food, a "nursery" for mommy and babies, a bedroom, and even a toilet! Everything is like ours. Only now, prairie dogs do not like to live in their chambers for a long time: they constantly dig new apartments and tightly wall up the old ones.

They were called dogs because they make piercing and sharp sounds, similar to a dog's barking. These sounds are accompanied by light strokes of the tail and are usually given at the moment of danger. Hearing a barking alarm signal, relatives immediately prepare to meet the enemy.

A special signal warns everyone about the appearance of an eagle or a hawk; then the animals quickly hide in holes. Another signal indicates the appearance of a stranger on their territory. The third is that the danger has passed.

Rack in "column"

Giving signals, prairie dogs stand on their hind legs and straighten up sharply.

Their life boils both on the surface of the earth and under it. Their large colonies resemble a real city. The animal community consists of family cells and all family members recognize relatives at a distance, and when they meet, they touch each other with their noses or teeth. This is special sign greetings, which is similar to a kiss.

"Kiss"

Each family occupies a certain territory and does not allow other tribesmen there. They all have their own duties, which are strictly distributed: someone is guarding, someone is digging minks, and someone is storing food.

They feed mainly on plants, but do not refuse insects. Can long time go without water. They live no more than 10-12 years.

It happens that toads, newts, and mice move into their homes. But skirmishes between the owners and uninvited guests do not occur. Prairie dogs leave their old burrows and go to other places where they set up a new underground city. They fight only with owls that eat their cubs. There is no avoiding fights, but this happens very rarely.

Once colonies of prairie dogs numbered up to four hundred million animals and occupied a vast area. Today, their number has drastically decreased. And now they live in special territories under the protection of the state.

February 19, 2013 A person who loves our smaller brothers will be)