The facts: Closely related to squirrels, chipmunks and marmots, the Mexican Prairie Dog is a burrowing mammal found in north-eastern Mexico. It got its name from its distinctive call — a mixture of barks and yips — which is believed to be one of the most refined languages in the animal world.
The reasons: Listed as an endangered species since 1970, the Prairie Dog now occupies less than two per cent of its former territory and can only be found in southern Coahuila and northern San Luis Potosi — an area of less than 500 square miles. While vulnerable to hunting from coyotes, bobcats, badgers and hawks, its largest threat is its loss of habitat due to agricultural expansion. Mexican farmers have often viewed the Prairie Dog as a pest and it has often been hunted or poisoned.
What is being done: Pronatura Mexico is fighting for the legal protection of an area of grassland and it has signed a conservation agreement with private land owners and farming collectives to protect 42,000 hectares of land for the animal’s conservation.
