Everyday my mother puts a bowl of water in their tank, but everyday they either dump it or fill it full of bedding. Not once have they even remotely considered drinking out of the bowl. However, this week I was proven wrong. Guss ( the female) actually attempted to drink, and drank lot of it at that. My mom and I just stared with our mouths open in shock that they actually consumed water after six months. This made me think if they have ever drank before this occurrence, and if so are they doing it secretly? This is still a mystery to me.
Fun Fact: The scientific term for black-tailed prairie dogs is Cynomys Ludovicianus
Another bizarre thing that has been going on with Guss is that she has started to pee on top of the hut, yet she has never done this before. My thought was that she was marking her territory like a dog. However, they are not potty trained so I guess she decided to use that as a bathroom. (We tried to potty train them, but they didn't understand the concept of a toilet.) I even researched it and I found nothing on marking territory that involves peeing. So, it as well remains a mystery.
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| Picture of soiled hut by Kayla Polley |
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| Mounted wheel picture by Kayla Polley |
Work cited
Rogers, Bill. "Prairie Dogs: General care and Feeding." Hobbyist's corner. N.p. n.d. Web. 1
November 2014.
Is their natural habitat very dry? Do they drink like dogs? I know that's probably a stupid question, but I can't picture a prairie dog drinking.
ReplyDeleteI find it very interesting that prairie dogs don't drink a lot of water, but that they get their water by vegetables. I agree with Mrs. Farias about not being able to picture a prairie dog drinking. Interesting blog, good job!
ReplyDeleteThey bite your camera! They seem like mean little guys. I find it really interesting that they don't drink water well at least not in front of you. Maybe they seemed threatened or intruded on so they wont eat or drink. Kind of like snakes.
ReplyDeleteI never thought that an animal could live without water. This is very new to me. I'm glad that it doesn't hurt them in their health. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteI love your Prairie dogs! I remember when I went over and saw them for the first time! :)
ReplyDeleteI always wondered why they didn't have a bowl of water or maybe like you said your mom does give them water but they cover it with bedding. Do you maybe think your female prairie dog drank water because of the climate change? :o