Mexican prairie dog of prairie dogs and associated species, such as shorebirds and birds of prey. Pronatura Noreste, as of February 2007, has signed conservation easements with "ejidos" and private owners for the protection of more than 42,000 acres (170 km) of Mexican prairie dog grasslands. Mexican prairie dog The Mexican prairie dog ("Cynomys mexicanus") is a diurnal burrowing rodent native to Mexico. Treatment as an agricultural pest has led to its status as an endangered species. They are closely related to squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots. "Cynomys mexicanus" originated about 230,000 years ago from a peripherally isolated population of the more widespread "Cynomys
Utah prairie dog consume flowers in shrubs. Utah prairie dogs choose only few species of grasses only that are native to the soil. Utah prairie dog shows polyandry behavior, and lays only one litter per year, which generally consists of 1 to 8 litter size. The breeding occurs generally from mid-March through early April. They build extensive "towns" of underground tunnels and chambers, each town composed of a population of members of an extended prairie dog family group called “clan”, and they forage from dawn to dusk. The species appears in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with a status of Endangered,