: any of a genus (Cynomys) of gregarious burrowing rodents of the squirrel family chiefly of central and western U.S. plains
especially: a black-tailed rodent (C. ludovicianus) that usually lives in extensive colonial burrows
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Most of the collisions were birds, including bald eagles, owls larks and mallards, but some of the strikes included prairie dogs, bats, coyotes and rabbits.—Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2025 Native to the open prairies of the Great Plains, these elusive, nocturnal predators rely almost entirely on prairie dogs for both food and shelter.—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025 Trackers on the prairie dogs were removed after 10-12 days.—Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2025 Even diseases as deadly as the plague don’t kill every prairie dog in a colony.—Christine Peterson, Outdoor Life, 25 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for prairie dog
: a black-tailed buff or grayish rodent of central and western U.S. prairies that is related to the squirrels and usually lives in colonies with many burrows
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