Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Cynomys ludovicianus
Also called Prairie dog
From Shortgrass prairie of the North American Great Plains, from near the Canada-US border to the Mexico border.1
At a glance the quick version
Coat and looks how to spot one
Short, coarse fur; short tail
A sturdy, burrowing ground squirrel about 36 to 43 cm long with a short tail of 7.6 to 10.2 cm. It is mostly tan with a paler belly, and the black tip on its tail gives the species its name. Wild animals live about 5 to 7 years, while pet prairie dogs often reach 8 to 10.12
Personality what they are like
A social, talkative animal that barks when excited or alarmed. Prairie dogs raised from a young age and handled often can become affectionate, while those given little attention may stay wary or nippy.2
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Needs plenty of daily exercise and enrichment outside its enclosure, under supervision and in a safe area rather than free run of the house.2
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Needs time and attention every day. Keep a large amount of hay available at all times.2
Home where they are happiest
Provide a roomy enclosure with 15 to 30 cm of safe bedding such as recycled paper or wood shavings (not cedar) so it can burrow.2
Food basics what goes in the bowl
A high-fibre diet based on grass hays such as timothy, orchard grass or brome, plus a small daily portion of rabbit pellets. Wild prairie dogs eat mostly grasses.21
Company who they like around
Very social; in the wild it lives in family groups called coteries within large colonies. A single pet needs lots of daily company from its owner; same-sex pairs can also live together.12
The story where it all began
The black-tailed prairie dog was one of two prairie dog species recorded by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and George Ord gave it its scientific name in 1815. In the United States, sales were paused by a federal ban in 2003 that expired on 8 September 2008.1
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
A prairie dog town reported in Texas covered about 64,000 square km and held around 400 million animals.1
- 2
Its alarm calls carry details about the type and size of a predator and how fast it is approaching.1
- 3
In the 'jump-yip', it stretches upright, flings its front feet into the air and calls out, and the display spreads through the colony.1
- 4
A typical family group, or coterie, has one adult male, three or four adult females and their young.1
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Wild species assessed as Least Concern1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Black-tailed Prairie Dog. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Fresh food and waterevery day
- Spot cleanevery day
- Full cleanevery week
- EnrichmentNew things to explore every dayevery day
- Nails checkevery month
- Weigh inevery 2 weeks
- Vet check-upFind a vet who sees exotic petsevery year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Black-tailed prairie dog - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for range, size, coat, lifespan, social structure, communication, diet, history, US sales ban
- VCA Animal Hospitals - Prairie Dogs: Owning vcahospitals.comused for pet lifespan, weight, diet, housing, social needs, temperament, exercise
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.