black-tailed prairie dog

noun

: a prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) of the plains of western North America with a black-tipped tail
In the areas that black-tailed prairie dogs call home, population densities per acre typically range from two individuals to as many as 18.Brendan Koerner, Slate, 13 Aug. 2004
These were black-tailed prairie dogs, the most social and widespread of the five species …Ted Williams, Mother Jones, January/February 2000

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1928, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of black-tailed prairie dog was circa 1928

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Dictionary Entries Near black-tailed prairie dog

Cite this Entry

“Black-tailed prairie dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black-tailed%20prairie%20dog. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.

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