Townsend's Grass Squirrel
![Picture](/uploads/3/8/7/5/38751331/6582957.jpg?250)
Common Name - Townsend's Grass Squirrel
Scientific Name - Urocitellus townsendii
Family - Sciuridae
Order - Rodentia
Size - 4 inches tall 3 inches wide
Lifespan - 5 years
Reproduction - 6 to 10 pups
Food - Green grasses are apparently a staple from late winter until just prior to grass senescence and Townsend ground squirrel estivation when seeds become the primary diet item.
Predators - Townsend's ground squirrels are the primary prey of ferruginous hawks. They are also a major and often primary diet item of prairie falcons.
Social Behavior - Townsend’s Ground Squirrels will form large colonies, yet they are not very social. Except when mothers have pups, there is only one Townsend's ground squirrel per burrow. They often dig two burrows—a small one in the feeding area, used as an escape hatch if predators approach, and a much bigger home burrow that is at least 50 feet long and up to 6 feet deep.
Location Found - They are often found on farms and in the desert in eastern California, southeastern Oregon, southern Idaho, western Utah, and all of Nevada. The squirrels eat mostly green plants and seeds.
Scientific Name - Urocitellus townsendii
Family - Sciuridae
Order - Rodentia
Size - 4 inches tall 3 inches wide
Lifespan - 5 years
Reproduction - 6 to 10 pups
Food - Green grasses are apparently a staple from late winter until just prior to grass senescence and Townsend ground squirrel estivation when seeds become the primary diet item.
Predators - Townsend's ground squirrels are the primary prey of ferruginous hawks. They are also a major and often primary diet item of prairie falcons.
Social Behavior - Townsend’s Ground Squirrels will form large colonies, yet they are not very social. Except when mothers have pups, there is only one Townsend's ground squirrel per burrow. They often dig two burrows—a small one in the feeding area, used as an escape hatch if predators approach, and a much bigger home burrow that is at least 50 feet long and up to 6 feet deep.
Location Found - They are often found on farms and in the desert in eastern California, southeastern Oregon, southern Idaho, western Utah, and all of Nevada. The squirrels eat mostly green plants and seeds.
American Badger
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Common Name - American Badger
Scientific Name - Taxidea taxus
Family - Animalia
Order - Carnivora
Size - The American badger has most of the general characteristics common to badgers; with stocky and low-slung bodies with short, powerful legs, they are identifiable by their huge foreclaws (measuring up to 5 cm in length) and distinctive head markings. Measuring generally between 60 to 75 cm (23.6 to 29.5 inches) in length, males of the species are slightly larger than females (with an average weight of roughly 7 kg (15.5 pounds) for females and up to almost 9 kg (19.8 pounds) for males).
Lifespan - The average longevity in the wild is 9–10 years.
Reproduction - Most female American badgers become pregnant for the first time after they are a year old. A minority of females four to five months old ovulate and a few become pregnant. Males usually do not breed until their second year.
Food - It preys predominantly on pocket gophers, ground squirrels, moles, marmots, prairie dogs, pika, woodrats, kangaroo rats, deer mice, and voles; often digging to pursue prey into their dens, and sometimes plugging tunnel entrances with objects. They also prey on ground-nesting birds, such as the bank swallow or sand martin and burrowing owl, and lizards, amphibians, carrion, fish, skunks, insects, including bees and honeycomb, and some plant foods such as corn, peas, green beans, mushrooms and other fungi, and sunflower seeds.
Predators - The American badger is an aggressive animal and has few natural enemies. Predation on smaller individuals by golden eagles, coyotes, cougars, and bobcats. have been reported. Bears, and gray wolves occasionally kill American badgers.
Social Behavior -
Juveniles often play around the sett – particularly leap-frog and king-of-the-castle.
There is frequent social grooming, for which badgers use their incisors. They also engage in scent-marking, particularly ‘bum-pressing’, where one badger presses the scent gland under its tail onto another badger, so that the group shares a common odour.
In spring and summer, badgers dig out their setts. Setts can be used by many generations of badgers, and why they are extended is not clear – it may be that with more nest chambers, parasites build up less.
Bedding collection is common, especially in spring and to a lesser extent after harvest time, when there is straw and hay debris in the fields.
Location Found - American badgers occur primarily in grasslands and open areas with grasslands, which can include parklands, farms, and treeless areas with friable soil and a supply of rodent prey. They may also be found in forest glades and meadows, marshes, brushy areas, hot deserts, and mountain meadows.
Scientific Name - Taxidea taxus
Family - Animalia
Order - Carnivora
Size - The American badger has most of the general characteristics common to badgers; with stocky and low-slung bodies with short, powerful legs, they are identifiable by their huge foreclaws (measuring up to 5 cm in length) and distinctive head markings. Measuring generally between 60 to 75 cm (23.6 to 29.5 inches) in length, males of the species are slightly larger than females (with an average weight of roughly 7 kg (15.5 pounds) for females and up to almost 9 kg (19.8 pounds) for males).
Lifespan - The average longevity in the wild is 9–10 years.
Reproduction - Most female American badgers become pregnant for the first time after they are a year old. A minority of females four to five months old ovulate and a few become pregnant. Males usually do not breed until their second year.
Food - It preys predominantly on pocket gophers, ground squirrels, moles, marmots, prairie dogs, pika, woodrats, kangaroo rats, deer mice, and voles; often digging to pursue prey into their dens, and sometimes plugging tunnel entrances with objects. They also prey on ground-nesting birds, such as the bank swallow or sand martin and burrowing owl, and lizards, amphibians, carrion, fish, skunks, insects, including bees and honeycomb, and some plant foods such as corn, peas, green beans, mushrooms and other fungi, and sunflower seeds.
Predators - The American badger is an aggressive animal and has few natural enemies. Predation on smaller individuals by golden eagles, coyotes, cougars, and bobcats. have been reported. Bears, and gray wolves occasionally kill American badgers.
Social Behavior -
Juveniles often play around the sett – particularly leap-frog and king-of-the-castle.
There is frequent social grooming, for which badgers use their incisors. They also engage in scent-marking, particularly ‘bum-pressing’, where one badger presses the scent gland under its tail onto another badger, so that the group shares a common odour.
In spring and summer, badgers dig out their setts. Setts can be used by many generations of badgers, and why they are extended is not clear – it may be that with more nest chambers, parasites build up less.
Bedding collection is common, especially in spring and to a lesser extent after harvest time, when there is straw and hay debris in the fields.
Location Found - American badgers occur primarily in grasslands and open areas with grasslands, which can include parklands, farms, and treeless areas with friable soil and a supply of rodent prey. They may also be found in forest glades and meadows, marshes, brushy areas, hot deserts, and mountain meadows.
Gunnison's Prairie Dog
![Picture](/uploads/3/8/7/5/38751331/869851117.jpg?250)
Common Name - Gunnison's Prairie Dog
Scientific Name - Cynomys gunnisoni
Family - Sciuridae
Order - Rodentia
Size - Gunnison’s prairie dogs are 12 to 14 inches (30 to 37 centimeters) in length and have tails that measure 1.25 to 2.25 inches (3 to 6 centimeters). This species weighs from 1.5 to 2.5 lbs.
Lifespan - The life span of a Gunnison’s prairie dog is generally three to five years in the wild, but they can live up to eight years of age.
Reproduction - Females produce one litter per year of four to five pups.
Food - Their diet usually consists grasses, herbs, and leaves. During the spring, they feed on newly grown shrubs. In the summer, they mainly consume seeds. Food is scarce in winter and fall. During these months, they feed on stems and roots, and stored food accumulated in the warmer months. While most prairie dogs are typically herbivores, some eat insects.
Predators - Predators include badgers, wolves, coyotes, bobcats, black-footed ferrets, weasels, golden eagles and large hawks. Humans also affect prairie dog populations; for example, some ranchers implement poisoning programs to eliminate them.
Social Behavior - Their above-ground activities include making social contact, being aware of their surroundings and predators, grooming, burrowing, etc. Their main activity above ground is feeding. Although Gunnison’s prairie dogs are considered to be less social than black-tailed prairie dogs, they are considered to be more social than the white-tailed prairie dogs. Studies have shown female Gunnison's prairie dogs are far more likely to engage in friendly social contact with other prairie dogs, and males are more likely to create conflict.
Location Found - They can be found in high desert, grasslands, meadows, hillsides, broad alluvial valleys and floodplains.
Scientific Name - Cynomys gunnisoni
Family - Sciuridae
Order - Rodentia
Size - Gunnison’s prairie dogs are 12 to 14 inches (30 to 37 centimeters) in length and have tails that measure 1.25 to 2.25 inches (3 to 6 centimeters). This species weighs from 1.5 to 2.5 lbs.
Lifespan - The life span of a Gunnison’s prairie dog is generally three to five years in the wild, but they can live up to eight years of age.
Reproduction - Females produce one litter per year of four to five pups.
Food - Their diet usually consists grasses, herbs, and leaves. During the spring, they feed on newly grown shrubs. In the summer, they mainly consume seeds. Food is scarce in winter and fall. During these months, they feed on stems and roots, and stored food accumulated in the warmer months. While most prairie dogs are typically herbivores, some eat insects.
Predators - Predators include badgers, wolves, coyotes, bobcats, black-footed ferrets, weasels, golden eagles and large hawks. Humans also affect prairie dog populations; for example, some ranchers implement poisoning programs to eliminate them.
Social Behavior - Their above-ground activities include making social contact, being aware of their surroundings and predators, grooming, burrowing, etc. Their main activity above ground is feeding. Although Gunnison’s prairie dogs are considered to be less social than black-tailed prairie dogs, they are considered to be more social than the white-tailed prairie dogs. Studies have shown female Gunnison's prairie dogs are far more likely to engage in friendly social contact with other prairie dogs, and males are more likely to create conflict.
Location Found - They can be found in high desert, grasslands, meadows, hillsides, broad alluvial valleys and floodplains.