The Black-Tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) has a black-tipped tail, which distinguishes it from other prairie dogs. Found in the Great Plains throughout North America, it has short, muscular legs with long-nailed front and hind toes which help it to dig in the ground and create burrows. The black-tailed prairie dog inhabit mixed-grass prairie, sagebrush steppe, and desert grasslands. Its vocabulary – squeaky calls – is more advanced than any other animal language that’s been decoded. All five species of prairie dog belong to the Scuiridae (squirrel) family. Their other biological relatives include groundhogs, chipmunks, marmots and woodchucks.
