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Talking a blue streak from a black hole |
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Prairie dog species' idle chatter actually a language, prof says
By Gary Gerhardt, Rocky Mountain News
February 24, 2004
Ever wonder what prairie dogs are chirping about while they stand on the lip of their mounds?
Well, they could be discussing you, or a coyote, a domestic dog or a red-tailed hawk.
And more remarkable, each vocalization contains descriptive information about the intruder, including general size, color and speed of travel of the predator.
"I have studied the Gunnison's prairie dog for 20 years, recording their vocalizations, and they recognize and tell others about movements of people and animals in their colony and use different vocalizations to describe each," said Con Slobodchikoff, of Northern Arizona University.
"They are dichromatic, meaning they can only see blue and yellow colors, not red like humans can, but they can describe clothing, shapes, and there is modifications in the vocalizations accordingly.
"Not only that, but they vocalize in dialects. You can distinguish a difference in their sound of their tones when a person walks through a colony in Flagstaff (Ariz.) or when he walks through one in Albuquerque."
Slobodchikoff said he had a person dress the same way in a northern colony and a southern colony, and recorded the subtle differences in the way the warnings sounded in both cases.
On Monday, Slobodchikoff and a coalition of scientists, Realtors, home builders, private landowners, religious organizations, retired military officials, conservationists, animal protection groups and concerned citizens filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to give the Gunnison's prairie dog protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.
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Take it easy |
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Is your unneutered male prairie dog having a hard rut season? Swollen testes, irritable personality? Good news. Spring is here. But don't push your luck just yet, or you may get bitten.
Your prairie dog might seem more friendly these days after his long, tough winter. That's because his swelling is receeding and the hormones aren't driving him nuts. Still, you need to take your time with him. He may be smiling at you, but the rut season isn't quite over. There is still a chance he could bite, and prairie dog bites can be quite serious.
Don't dispair, your little guy will be back to his old self in a month or so. After you are sure he is through the rut period, make an appointment with your veterinarian to have him neutered.
There is no reason for your prairie dog to go through this painful event every year. Having him neutered, nomatter his age, is a kind thing to do for him. Dealing with raging hormones and swollen testes is very painful and frustrating.
If your veterinarian has any questions on neutering your prairie dog, loan him your copy of "Bringing a Prairie Dog Pup Into Your Home" available at www.Brisky.com. Or better yet - get an extra copy for your vet.
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| 8 Comments |
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Little Ringo |
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Last June my wife gave me permission to get a little prairie doggie of our own. From the day we got little Ringo I thought, wow, what a mistake. Prairie dogs are distructive and mean. He would bite us and chew on everything in the house. It is now February and I think back to a night when I almost made the bad choice of tossing him out in the wild, on his own. What a mistake that would have been. Thank goodness for those websites that told me to be patient and never give up. Ringo has become so loyal to me. I call him and he pops his little head out to see what I want. When I pass by his cage he jumps up for some attention. I can let him run around, outside of his cage, for hours and he does not chew up the rug or the baseboards. Remember....a prairie dog is just trying to fit into a new environment. Give them a chance and see what they can give you. I love my little doggie and would not give him up for anything now and am looking forward to getting little Anasthasia for little Ringo to play with as soon as the sales ban is lifted.
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Interested in Buying a Pet Prairie Dog? |
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Here's how the pet shops work with prairie dog inventory: Adult prairie dog females are in heat one day a year, at the end of winter. (That's why the male prairie dogs experience agressive rut behaviour during winter, and it's best to have them neutered to prevent nasty bites to you & your family.) She is, in fact, in heat for about one hour that day.
When she is impregnated, she will have a litter of 3-6 pups. The prairie dog pups are always born in the Spring. Pet shops begin receiving pups in April or May. If your pup is 8-10 weeks old, you may have to bottle feed it. There are some simple recipes and instructions in the book, "Bringing a Prairie Dog Pup Into Your Home" available from http://www.brisky.com.
After the ban last June, I'm not sure if pet shops will be able to (or even interested in) restocking prairie dog pups this year. We will make an announcement as soon as we have word the ban has been lifted.
If your local pet shop does not intend to stock prairie dogs, you can order them directly from Walter's World of Pets located in TX. Ryan Blakely is the owner (Walter is a very large pet lizard that roams the store!) Ryan supplies pet shops all over the country, and he will hand-pick a nice pup for you and ship it via Delta airlines. I've recieved two pups from Ryan this way, and they are delightful. Phone: 806-741-0123
I must stress that these babies that are sold as pets are bottle raised and tamed, however, they are still a wild animal with inborn instincts. Anyone considering one as a pet should make sure that they do a lot of research and know exactly what they are getting and make sure that they buy from a good reliable breeder. Prairie Dogs are not cats or dogs that have been domesticated over many thousands of years. They do make delightful pets if you know what you are getting and are willing to accept them for what they are.
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| 8 Comments |
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Valentine to your Prairie Dog |
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It's almost Valentine's Day, Yahoo!
Submit a Story about your pet prairie dog and let us know what a special critter he/she is. We will post the stories all through the month of February.
The story can be as short or long as you like, and about anything related to your prairie dog. Just click the button "Submit A Story" at the top!
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| 10 Comments |
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Other Stories |
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· Wyoming Prairie Dog Statuary
(Apr 22, 2003)
· Mini Scoozie Pet - Prairie Dog
(Apr 17, 2003)
· Lubbock City Council approves plan
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(Feb 12, 2003)
· Angry Letter to Lubbock Mayor
(Feb 12, 2003)
· The Big Cattle Move
(Nov 15, 2002)
· Lubbock changes direction...for now
(Nov 13, 2002)
· Book Review
(Nov 05, 2002)
· Dear Lubbock...
(Nov 03, 2002)
· Humane Society
(Nov 01, 2002)
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