Photo by Kira Dott

AMERICAN BADGER

Scientific Name: Taxidea taxus

IUCN Status: Least concern

Habitat: Found in the western and central United States, northern Mexico and central Canada. They range from the Great Lakes states west to Pacific Coast, and from Canadian Prairie Provinces, south to Mexican Plateau.

Diet: Prarie dogs, moles, voles, harvest mice, ground feeding birds, or squirrels.

Reproduction: Badgers breed once a year, producing 1-5 offspring.

Life Span: 9-10 years

Fact: Badgers live in underground burrows, called setts.



AMERICAN BISON

Bison (Common name: buffalo)
Scientific Name: Bison bison

IUCN Status: Near threatened

Habitat: Formerly inhabited the prairies of western Canada and United States. Today, found mainly in parks and reserves scattered throughout North America.

Diet: Grass and succulent vegetation. Methodical grazers, a herd can cover up to two miles a day in search of fresh grass.

Reproduction: Females sexually mature at 2-4 years; males, much later.

Gestation: 8-9 months with a single yellow-red calf.

Life Span: 20 years in the wild; up to 40 years in captivity.

Fact: Both male and females have horns.



PRAIRIE DOG

Scientific Name: Cynomys ludovicianus

IUCN Status: Least concern

Habitat: Short and medium grass prairies and plateaus of the American West.

Diet: Grasses, roots, weeds, forbs and blossoms

Reproduction: One litter is born to the Prairie Dog female each year. During a 4- or 5- hour estrus, a female Prairie Dog may mate with as many as 5 different males, allowing pups from the same litter to have different fathers.

Life Span: 8 years

Fact: Prairie Dogs are very susceptible to bubonic plague, acquiring it from fleas infected with plague bacteria.