Physical Characteristics

Prairie dogs are rodents that weigh between one and a half pounds to 3 pounds (DesertUSA, 1996). The length of their body without the tail is about one foot long, and their fur is yellowish in color. Prairie dogs’ bodies are covered in a layer of fat, giving them a stout body shape(DesertUSA, 1996). Prairie dogs have short legs that make running from predators difficult (Chance, 1976). Two species of prairie dogs, the Black- tailed prairie dog and Mexican prairie dog have black- tipped tails (Hoogland, 2002; Desert USA, 1996). They are from the genus Cynomys. The other three species have gray or white tipped tails and make up the subgenus Leucocrossuromys (Hoogland, 2002; Desert USA, 1996). Other markings that are common to all prairie dogs are paler colored bellies, and “whitish or buffy” coloring around their nose, top lips and eyes (DesertUSA, 1996). One of the special features of the prairie dog is its eyes. The eyes of the prairie dog are situated on both sides of the head (Desert USA, 1996). This feature gives a greater field of vision for the prairie dog and thus it is able to more easily to detect predators (Desert USA, 1996).

Photograph courtesy of Wind Cave National Park

Sexual Dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism exists within the prairie dog in regards to body mass (Hoogland, 2002). The percentage of this dimorphism varies between 105 to 136% within 4 of the 5 different prairie dog species (Hoogland, 2002). Black- tailed prairie dogs are the least dimorphic and White- tailed prairie dogs are the most dimorphic. Sexual dimorphism is at its peak during weaning, after females lost weight from lactation and males are eating well. The smallest difference in sexual dimorphism occurs when females are pregnant and males are tired after breeding season. There are three different reasons for sexual dimorphism which may be sexual selection, differential roles of sexes in parenting, and intersexual competition for food. Within prairie dogs, first and most important reason for this dimorphism is sexual selection. Thus, sexual selection plays a role in the dominance hierarchy of prairie dogs (Hoogland, 1995).