On the Prairie Chat transcript, Dave Rider Read from bottom to top.
Prairie dogs live naturally only in the mixed or shortgrass prairie.
The tallgrass prairie receives too much rainfall for prairie dogs to exist naturally. They need slightly drier areas with shorter vegetation so that they can keep it clipped down to a level where they can see predators. This is especially true of the black-tailed prairie dog. However, this area is also right at the ecotone of the prairie and the deciduous forest. In any case, St. Paul is right in the ecotone area.