The black-tailed prairie dog is a large, burrowing, ground squirrel belonging to a group of four other prairie dog species found only in North America. The black-tailed prairie dog is the most abundant and widely distributed prairie dog. Black-tailed prairie dogs are a yellowish tan on the back and lighter on the belly. They have a short tail that is tipped with black. Their ears are short and an average adult weighs about two pounds.
Prairie dogs are active only during daylight hours and spend a lot of time feeding and socializing.
Since they do not like tall grass, they will choose a site which has little vegetation. Here, the prairie dog feels secure and able to see predators coming from a long distance. Burrows are usually quite visible because of the large mound of dirt around the entrance. Mounds provide both a vantage point and protection from flooding. Forbs are preferred over grasses for food so competition with cattle is still questionable.