Prairie dogs are named for their habitat and warning call, which sounds similar to a dog's bark. Herbivorous burrowing rodents native to the grasslands of North America, the five species are: black-tailed, white-tailed, Gunnison's, Utah, and Mexican prairie dogs. The Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), found in the Great Plains of North America, has a black tips on its tail, from which its name is derived. It has black long claws used for digging.
