The Backyard Zoo

by Jim Dunlap

"Prairie Dog"

And next we have, direct from the Garland Animal Services Department, one, 0.1, (that’s zoo talk for female), Cynomys ludovicianus. She accidentally climbed into a campsite backpack and was spirited away from her West Texas prairie home bouncing around in the back of a Jeep. That is really a lie because she was purchased at a flea market as a juvenile. I can dream can’t I? Same old story, she reached sexual maturity and began to take small chunks out of the owner’s hand.

The black tailed prairie dog is a small yellowish tan creature about the size of a large guinea pig. He is a rodent and is not related to a dog. The name "dog" may have originated from the fact that these little animals bark at each other, or the fact that they look like little fat puppies. Their presence in the field is revealed by the characteristic dirt mounds that surround their front doors. They prefer dry upland prairies where this knee-high to a Daschund, squirrel looking, little mammal dines on grasses and seeds. They are friendly little creatures and prefer to live in "towns". They become dormant in real cold weather, but are not true hibernators. Their babies are born in March and April. They have three to five naked helpless young that can come topside at about six weeks. Poisoning and trapping have decimated their populations. We are now trying to preserve the survivors.

On slow days I sit on the "Prairie Dog Watching " stool in front of the habitat where we house three, non-releasable animals. The imagination wanders and I remember one day I was visiting the administration building. The big room was filled with cubicles. I accidentally dropped two of the empty coffee cans I was carrying and heads appeared above each cubicle wall much like the prairie dogs will look out over the edge of their burrows at any loud disturbance. Office workers prairie dogging in the cube town was funny, but I guess you had to be there.

There are still a few sanctuaries in west Texas and I will make an effort to get her there.

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