Doggone!

The article focuses on the threat faced by species of prairie dogs and the complicated ecosystem they sustain. It notes that in most of their range, black-tailed prairie dogs are reviled because they are thought to compete for grass with cattle. These prairie dogs are described as ground squirrels that sound and act like dogs, and they bark, sit erect, wag their tails, wrestle like puppies as well as exchange kisses with jaws agape. In 1998, the black-tailed prairie dog warranted listing was proclaimed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.