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Prairie Dog Lapbook
research by Lynn Pitts, templates by Ami

Lapbook Templates

Research

Vocabulary
Vocabulary Flap

Bark: a short, loud sound; the prairie dog gets its name from its bark

Burrow: a tunnel or a hole in the ground

Grassland: a large open area of grass; grasslands are also called prairies

Groom: to clean oneself; some animals groom themselves

Rodent: a mammal with long front teeth; rodents use their teeth to gnaw

What Is a Prairie Dog?
What Makes Me a Prairie Dog?
Are Prairie Dogs, Dogs?  Matchbook

They are not dogs.  They are rodents (ground squirrels).
They are about 1 foot tall and weigh 1-3 pounds
They have short legs and often their bellies will rub the ground
They have short black or white tails flicker and wag all day
Their strong teeth clip and grind green plants
Their long sharp claws are for digging
They are lively, alert animals, with keen eyesight and hearing

What Did You Say?
What Did You Say?

Prairie dogs from the same colony nuzzle and kiss when they meet. If prairie dogs from different colonies meet, they stare, chatter, flick their tails and may fight or chase each other.

Black tailed prairie dogs have about 11 calls. When danger is near they alert other members of the colony by making a loud yelp or bark.

Sometimes a prairie dog will stand on its hind legs, stretch up, and throw its front feet high into the air. At the same time, it gives a loud call.

Friendly relations are also maintained through mutual grooming.

Predators
Predators Fan

Ferrets
Hawks
Owls
Coyotes
Fox
Bobcat
Weasels
Badger
Snakes

Where Do They Live?
Habitat Simple Fold

They live on short grass prairies and areas of mixed grass. Trimming the plants constantly so they can see any predator’s approaching.

What Do They Eat?
Diet Wheel

Leaves
Grasses
Grass Roots
Weeds
Seeds and Other Plants
Grasshoppers
Cut Worms
Bug & Beetles

Starting a Family
Starting a Family Simple Fold

Baby prairie dogs are born with no hair in the spring. Once a year the female has litter of four pups. Pups stay in the burrow for about six to seven weeks. At that time, they will climb up to explore their town for the first time. They like playing chase and wrestling.

Species of Prairie Dogs

Black Tailed Prairie Dog
Live in entire midsection of North America

White Tailed Prairie Dog
South Central Montana and Wyoming in small colonies

Mexican Prairie Dog
North East Mexico: Endangered

Utah Prairie Dog
RARE: Lives in Central Utah

Gunnison’s Prairie Dog
Arizona and New Mexico

Home Sweet Home
Home Sweet Home Bound Book

 Prairie Dog towns may contain hundreds of prairie dogs
 Towns are divided into wards, then into neighborhoods
 Each neighborhood is made up of family members~ babies, brothers and sisters, females and one or two males
 Their underground tunnels connect to rooms. There are nurseries, bedrooms lined with dried grass, bathrooms and a listening room which is close to the entrance
 The tunnels go down about 10 feet and can be 50 feet from one entrance to the other
 The entrance to the burrow is surrounded by a pile of soil. This mound serves as a lookout and protects the burrow against floods.
 One entrance slants downward from a low mound of dirt about 5 feet in diameter. This is the end from which the tunnel was dug
 Another entrance plunges straight down and is topped by a crater like mound as tall as 3 feet. Both are shaped by the animals.

Why Some People Dislike Prairie Dogs
Why Some People Dislike Matchbook

Over the past 100 years much of the range of the black tailed prairie dogs have become cattle pastures and grain fields. Farmers and ranchers do not see the prairie dog as a cute little animal. They eat grasses that cattle and horses eat. Prairie dogs can also destroy a farmer’s crop of alfalfa, hay, wheat, or corn. There are poisoning programs that help farmers get rid of them.

Interesting Facts
Facts Hotdog (instructions)

 They are most active during the cool hours of day
 Most of their time is spent eating
 They like to visit and groom each other
 They sleep in the winter
 They eat a lot to store up fat for winter
 They do not need to drink water; it comes from their food
 In some US states shooting prairie dogs is a sport