Description

Prairie dogs, once one of the most abundant animals in the West, could be found in Canada, the Northern Great Plains and Great Basin south through the United States down into Mexico. They were often mentioned in the journals of early explorers, trappers, emigrants, and settlers. They were frequently referred to as little parking dogs and were studied in 1804 during the Lewis & Clark expedition. There are a total of five species of prairie dogs.  The black-tailed prairie dog is one of the prominent ones.

Pete the Prairie Dog is an example of a black-tailed prairie dog. He measures 8 1/2 inches tall and 4 1/4 inches at the widest part.