Quiz

Prairie Dogs Quiz

Prairie dogs build ventilated underground towns and have calls that describe you. How much do you know about them?

Question 1 of 8 Score 0

  1. What kind of animal is a prairie dog?

    Its genus name Cynomys means "dog-mouse."

  2. Where did the name "prairie dog" come from?

    There are five species.

  3. How do prairie dog burrows stay ventilated?

    Wind across the entrances pulls fresh air through.

  4. What is a prairie dog family group called?

    Coteries form wards, and wards form a town.

  5. What did Con Slobodchikoff find prairie dog alarm calls can describe?

    Their calls have been called the most sophisticated animal language yet decoded.

  6. What is the jump-yip?

    A fast, strong response tells the caller the colony is alert.

  7. Which animal depends on prairie dogs for 90 percent of its diet?

    Ferrets also raise their young in prairie dog burrows.

  8. How big was the largest prairie dog town ever recorded?

    It held about 400 million animals in early-1900s Texas.

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