03/05/2022
Cute and chubby prairie 🐕 dogs.
These adorable animals are not really dogs
They were given that name due to their habitat.. the prairie which is located in the USA.
Dog because their warning calls sound like barks.
Prairie dogs are the great vocalists of the grasslands.
Their barks help them communicate size, colour, species, speed, and direction of predators.
In the picture below 👇 the prairie dogs are 😘 kissing.
They touch noses and lock 🦷 teeth.
They do this to be able to tell if they belong to the same family👍
Prairie dogs are highly intelligent.
Prairie dogs support more than 130 species.
Besides being a food source for wild animals.
Prairie dogs provide shelter for animals such as 🐸 toads, 🐰 jackrabbits, and 🐍 rattlesnakes.
Prairie dogs are underground architects 🏡❣️
They dig tunnel like burrows, that include areas for sleeping 🛌, going to the 🚽 toilet and nurseries for their babies❣️
Every exit has a 👂 listening post for predators.
If they sense predators, you will see them jumping on its hind 🦵 legs, throwing arms in the air, and barking.
It is adorable to see🥰
Prairie dogs adapt to harsh environments 👏
They can live anywhere as hot 🥵 as 100 degrees, and as 🥶 cold as -35 degree Fahrenheit.
In an effort to control their population , prairie dogs are vacuumed out of their burrow by a revamped sewer truck 😢
The prairie dogs and their babies are than used as food for endangered animals such as eagles 🦅 or ferrets.
Dealers sell them as well, to own them
they are given a health certificate, and must have the proper paperwork to legally sell and own the prairie dog.
Active and playful, prairie dogs can make wonderful and affectionate pets if purchased young ❣️
It is important to acquire them when they are young.
As with all pets, you will need to have the time, energy, and finances to properly care for them.
Prairie dogs need to be spayed or neutered.
Female prairie dogs, if not spayed become aggressive.
They will need a housing method where are there are many places to hide, such as boxes or tunnels.
A cage is not ideal😟
To keep them, you will need a large enclosure that is 10ft by 10ft. and a place where they can burrow at least 3 ft deep.
If not housed properly, prairie dogs will have anxiety 😟 from overexposure to stimulus.
Prairie dogs in the wild diet consists of grasses, 🌱 plants ,and hay.
If captivity, prairie dogs eat a simple vegetarian diet of high fiber pellets, fresh hay, grasses, fresh 🍎 fruit, vegetables 🌽 and 💦 water.
Prairie dogs are small, (12-16 inches) and weigh 1-3 pounds.
It is important not to feed them too much, as they have a tendency toward obesity.
Properly handled, prairie dogs will seek you out as their best buddy😍
They will desire to be at your side, or your lap, a large portion of the time they are out of their cage😇
Prairie dogs need for companionship is intense, so do not get them as a pet, unless you cannot fulfill its need for attention😌