Cynomys ludoviciana; Print; Prairie dogs (genus Cynomys) are herbivorous burrowing rodents native to the grasslands of North America. The five species are: black-tailed; white-tailed; Gunnison's; Utah; and Mexican prairie dogs. They are a type of ground squirrel; found in North America. In Mexico; prairie dogs are found primarily in the northern states; which lie at the southern end of the Great Plains: northeastern Sonora; north and northeastern Chihuahua; northern Coahuila; northern Nuevo Le髇; and northern Tamaulipas. In the United States; they range primarily to the west of the Mississippi River; though they have also been introduced in a few eastern locales. They are also found in the Canadian Prairies. Despite the name; they are not actually canines.; 1700-1880