The black-tailed prairie dog is not a dog, but a stout, burrowing ground squirrel named for its barking call. It is extirpated from Arizona. Roughly half of the U.S. prairie dog population lives in South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming. The burrows are easily identified because of the large mound of dirt surrounding the entrance, providing a vantage point to spot approaching predators as well as flood protection. Their lifespan is typically 4-5 years in the wild.
Prairie dogs have a complex social structure.
Each coterie has up to 20 members. Underground tunnels connect to special-use rooms such as bedrooms, nurseries and latrine. These tunnels are used for shelter by many other prairie wildlife species, including burrowing owls, black-footed ferrets, rabbits, badgers, insects, snakes and toads. Prairie dogs have a sophisticated form of communication. Humans have been able to identify up to 11 different calls.