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BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOGS 1 444 Meaning Clusters Speed learning format by Carl Peterson Copyright 2005. Black-tailed prairie dogs live on the Great Plains. Their warning call sounds like a little bark. Early French explorers named them “petits chiens.” That means little dogs. They are rodents. They are relatives of the squirrel family. Prairie dogs are small short-tailed animals. Their light-brown fur blends well with dirt. Prairie dogs weigh 1 to 3 pounds. Their strong legs burrow with long-nailed toes. Prairie dogs build “towns”.

INDEX Animal Phrases 5 1. Black Tailed Prairie Dogs 1 444 2. Black-tailed Prairie Dog 1 333 3. Black-tailed Prairie Dog 2 333 4. Black-tailed Prairie Dog 3 333 5. Black Tailed Prairie Dogs 1 444 They connect a network of tunnels and holes. Prairie dogs live in “coteries”. A family group forms a coterie. The family has one dominant male. Several females also live there with their young. A special kiss or sniff identifies families. The dominant male challenges intruders. High-pitched squeaks alert the coterie to danger. Some “barking” warns about specific threats. Prairie dogs usually feed on plants. Plants provide water and food.

BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOGS 1 Meaning Clusters Black-tailed prairie dogs live on the Great Plains from southern Saskatchewan to northern Mexico. Their name comes for their bark-like warning call and black-tipped tail. Early French explorers named them “petits chiens,” or little dogs. However they are rodents. They are relatives of the squirrel family along with ground squirrels and chipmunks, woodchucks and marmots. Prairie dogs are small short-tailed animals. Their eyes and ears are set far back on their heads. Their light-brown fur blends well with the dirt of their mounds. Prairie dogs average 14 to 17 inches in length and weigh 1 to 3 pounds. Muscular legs and long-nailed toes help them burrow beneath the prairie ground.

MEMORY TRIGGERS Black-tailed_________________________ ___________________________________ bark_______________________________ ___________________________________ French_____________________________ ___________________________________ relatives____________________________ ___________________________________ small_______________________________ ___________________________________ eyes_______________________________ ___________________________________ fur_________________________________ ___________________________________ burrow_____________________________ ___________________________________ Text from National Park Service Speed Learning format by Carl Peterson ©2005

BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOGS 2 Meaning Clusters Prairie dogs build “towns” by connecting a large number of closely spaced burrows into a network of tunnels and entrance holes. Prairie dogs live in “coteries,” an acre of land with 50 to 60 burrow entrances occupied by a single family group. One adult male, several adult females, and their offspring usually form a coterie. They recognize each other by a special kiss or sniff. Together they raise young, construct burrows, groom and play and defend the coterie. The dominant male most actively defends the borders and challenges intruders. Prairie dogs “bark” a series of high-pitched squeaks alerting the coterie to a threat or danger. Certain kinds of “barking” warn the town of specific threats. Text from National Park Service Speed Learning format by Carl Peterson ©2005

MEMORY TRIGGERS Prairie dogs_________________________ ___________________________________ burrows____________________________ ___________________________________ “coteries”___________________________ ___________________________________ offspring___________________________ ___________________________________ recognize___________________________ ___________________________________ defend_____________________________ ___________________________________ dominant___________________________ ___________________________________ “bark”_____________________________ ___________________________________ warn_______________________________ ___________________________________

BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOGS 3 Meaning Clusters Prairie dogs usually feed on plants. Flowering plants and moist grasses supply their needs for water and food. Foraging rids the town of tall grasses. Open land allows prairie dogs to spot approaching danger. Flowering plants and thistle and sage grow faster and take the grasses place. The prairie dog Varies its diet to avoid overeating one type of plant. This behavior rotates the crops. If balance holds the community lives. If climatic changes upset the balance for too long, prairie dogs may be forced to abandon a town. Recolonization may take place when former plant life recovers.

MEMORY TRIGGERS Prairie dogs_________________________ ___________________________________ Flowering___________________________ ___________________________________ Foraging___________________________ ___________________________________ Open land__________________________ ___________________________________ overeating__________________________ ___________________________________ rotates_____________________________ ___________________________________ climatic____________________________ ___________________________________ balance_____________________________ ___________________________________ Recolonization_______________________ ___________________________________ Text from National Park Service Speed Learning format by Carl Peterson ©2005

BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOGS 1 444 Meaning Clusters Speed learning format by Carl Peterson Copyright 2005. Black-tailed prairie dogs live on the Great Plains. Their warning call sounds like a little bark. Early French explorers named them “petits chiens.” That means little dogs. They are rodents. They are relatives of the squirrel family. Prairie dogs are small short-tailed animals. Their light-brown fur blends well with dirt. Prairie dogs weigh 1 to 3 pounds. Their strong legs burrow with long-nailed toes. Prairie dogs build “towns”.

They connect a network of tunnels and holes. Prairie dogs live in “coteries”. A family group forms a coterie. The family has one dominant male. Several females also live there with their young. A special kiss or sniff identifies families. The dominant male challenges intruders. High-pitched squeaks alert the coterie to danger. Some “barking” warns about specific threats. Prairie dogs usually feed on plants. Plants provide water and food.