Black-tailed prairie dog of the ban are allowed to be possessed under a grandfather clause, but no more may be caught, traded, or sold, and transport is only permitted to and from a veterinarian under proper quarantine procedures. The ban was officially lifted on September 8, 2008. Black-tailed prairie dog The black-tailed prairie dog ("Cynomys ludovicianus") is a rodent of the family Sciuridae found in the Great Plains of North America from about the United States-Canada border to the United States-Mexico border. Unlike some other prairie dogs, these animals do not truly hibernate. The black-tailed prairie dog can be seen above ground in
Gunnison's prairie dog of the most advanced forms of natural language known to science." The bark is a combination of one or two high-pitched audible syllables, with the second syllable lower and deeper. Prairie dogs have a unique sound to identify each of various predators. They also have different barks for warning and "all-clear" signals. Researchers and experts have been able to classify up to 11 distinct warning calls the prairie dog uses to communicate. Also, females with offspring are more likely to give off a warning bark than males. The warning signal is their primary source of survival because it alerts the