{"id":30861,"date":"2023-07-24T16:26:10","date_gmt":"2023-07-24T14:26:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discoverwildlife.com\/?p=78585"},"modified":"2023-07-24T16:35:44","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T14:35:44","slug":"gunnisons-prairie-dog-guide-where-they-live-what-they-eat-and-why-they-are-called-dogs","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/gunnisons-prairie-dog-guide-where-they-live-what-they-eat-and-why-they-are-called-dogs\/","title":{"rendered":"Gunnison\u2019s prairie dog guide: where they live, what they eat \u2013 and why they are called dogs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meet the cute and charismatic Gunnison’s\u00a0prairie dog <\/p>

By BBC Wildlife Magazine\n \t\t<\/p>

2023-07-24 14:26:10<\/p>

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What is a prairie dog?<\/h2>\n

A prairie dog is not a dog or a member of the canine family but rather a rodent and member of the Sciuridae family, which includes squirrels.<\/p>\n

Why is a prairie dog called a dog?<\/h2>\n

Prairie dogs are called dogs because the sound they make is said to sound like a dog\u2019s bark<\/p>\n

How big are Gunnison\u2019s\u00a0 prairie dogs?<\/h2>\n

Gunnison\u2019s prairie dogs are between 30\u201337cm long (males are larger than females) and weigh between 900\u2013950g.<\/p>\n

What do Gunnison\u2019s\u00a0 prairie dogs look like<\/h2>\n

They have a yellow-buff coat with grizzled effect produced by dark hairs. Greyish- white tip to tail; in all other prairie dog species, the tail-tip is pure white or black.<\/p>\n

What do they eat?<\/h2>\n

Grass stems, herbs, seeds and the leaves of shrubs<\/p>\n

Where do they live?<\/h2>\n
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They favour grassland and semi-desert; also found in brush at higher elevations of up to 3,600m. Burrows are often sited on slopes to avoid flooding.<\/p>\n

Gunnison\u2019s\u00a0 prairie dogs have\u00a0a relatively small range that stretches from the plains of northern Arizona and New Mexico into south-east Utah and south-west Colorado.<\/p>\n

How long do they live for?<\/h2>\n
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Their lifespan is between\u00a0 3\u20135 years in the wild.<\/p>\n

Do they hibernate<\/a>?<\/h2>\n
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Gunnison\u2019s\u00a0 prairie dogs enters a period of torpor<\/a><\/strong> between late September and March.<\/p>\n

How do they breed?<\/h2>\n

After emergence in spring, females are sexually receptive for just one day. A litter of 4\u20136 pups is produced after a gestation period of about 30 days.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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