3413 x 5120 px | 28,9 x 43,3 cm | 11,4 x 17,1 inches | 300dpi
Aufnahmedatum:
7. Juni 2005
Ort:
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming USA
Weitere Informationen:
The black-tailed prairie dog is a member of the squirrel family and is closely related to the ground squirrel. It has yellowish to reddish brown fur on its back and sides and lighter colored fur under its neck and on its chest. It has small ears on the sides of its head, a long body, small front paws with long claws, and a short, black-tipped tail. The black-tailed prairie dog lives in burrows in dry prairies with short grass. Their burrows have an entrance that is surrounded by a pile of dirt. The entrance to a prairie dog's burrow looks a little like a volcano. The mound of dirt protects the burrow from flooding and is a good place for the prairie dog to sit and watch for predators like badgers, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, eagles and hawks. The burrow entrance leads to a tunnel that goes down about three to ten feet and then straightens out to a horizontal tunnel that runs about 10 to 15 feet. The burrow has a number of nesting chambers lined with grass. It also has a separate chamber used as a bathroom. When that chamber is full, the prairie dog will dig a new one.
