prairie dog

Up to 15 inches long, the prairie dog is related to the squirrel.

Prairie dogs may bark like dogs—that's how they got their name—but the little guys are rodents, not canines.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5KXanALOZY

https://files.worldwildlife.org/wwfcmsprod/images/Prairie_Dogs_Eating_NGP/story_full_width/87jdqilkn0_Prairie_Dogs_Hank_Bentlage.jpg

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/prairie-dog#:~:text=The%20animals'%20sharp%20claws%20make,different%20barks%20for%20different%20enemies.

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/prairie-dogs-owning#:~:text=They%20are%20active%2C%20playful%2C%20and,dogs%20represent%20a%20significant%20commitment.

They are active, playful, and sturdy rodents and can make fairly affectionate pets if purchased young, socialized properly, and given lots of attention.

Prairie dog families live with hundreds of others in networks of tunnels dug below North America's grasslands.

these communities, called dog towns, cover less than half a square mile. But one in Texas stretched a hundred miles!

They have sharp claws to help dig through underground and they have excellent hearing which helps them avoid predators.