I knew I shouldn't have had that last piece of sweetcorn: Prairie dog pup needs a nap after eating too much

By STEVE NOLAN

Flat out: This cute prairie dog pup needed a lie down after indulging in too much fruit and vegetables while having a break from playing with its mother

At just a few days old and on his first adventure outside of his underground burrow home, it's little wonder that this tiny prairie dog pup overindulged on tasty snacks and needed to lie down.
Surrounded by fresh fruit and vegetables that were almost as big as them, the pup and his siblings weren't shy in tucking in to their lunch while out playing with their mother.
Two of the siblings even nibbled on the same lettuce leaf as they enjoyed their healthy meal.

Hungry: The little animals aren't shy in tucking into their healthy lunch at Maryland Zoo, Baltimore

Animal loving photographer Jen Lockridge spent more than an hour watching the pups play with their mother at Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.
Jen, from Annapolis, Maryland, said: 'I was amused to watch the younger pups sitting in the exhibit surrounded by animal chow that was almost bigger than them.

Adventure: The mischievous creatures were enjoying one of their first forays outside of their underground burrow

'The prairie dogs are fun to watch as they are very active and clever.'
The black-tailed prairie dogs live in family territories called coteries.
There's usually one male, around three females and their babies in each group.

Tucking in: Two of the siblings share a piece of food as they enjoy lunch in the Baltimore sun

Loving: Mother keeps a protective eye on her pubs as she was photographed playing and sharing lunch with her offspring

source : read more at dailymail

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Unlucky in love prairie dog swoops in for a kiss - but gets given the cold shoulder

By ANNA EDWARDS

Swoop in: The lothario edges closer - perhaps not realising that most do not like their stomachs being used as something to lean on

This could be a scene straight out of real life.
A nervous young male sidles up to the girl of his dreams, nervously leans in for a kiss, but is snubbed after landing a peck on her cheek.
But this is no unlucky in love man on an awkward date - instead, the rejected Romeo is a prarie dog.
Prairie dogs might be known for their public displays of affection but as this series of charming pictures show, love isn't always easy even in the animal kingdom.

What the...? Undeterred, the hopeless romantic plants a peck on his distinctly unimpressed lover

This unlucky-in-love creature was spotted trying to woo his girl, inching closer and closer before swooping in for a kiss.
But the romantic gesture ended badly with a rather clumsy peck on the cheek and an unimpressed look from his lover.
The funny photos were taken by British photographer Duncan Usher, from Northumberland.
The 57-year-old snapped the hilarious scene while on a trip to a zoo in Holland.
He said: 'I had observed Prairie Dogs doing cute things together and thought some coverage of them would produce some pretty funny pictures.

Better luck next time: Given the cold shoulder, the defeated dog contemplates where his wooing technique went wrong

'They are very social and interactive animals which live in large family groups under the ground in burrows.
'They have a very highly developed social structure and the roles of the animals are well defined from young to old.'

Mr Usher said the animals had a caring network designed to protect all of the relatives in a family of prarie dogs.
'They are very gregarious, caring, gentle animals and the parents, aunties and uncles will look after the offspring in one family group, helping to guard, groom and feed them.
'The individual members of the families recognize and acknowledge each other by sniffing each others scent when they meet by rubbing their noses together and sometimes holding their paws together.
'This greeting ceremony appears as if they arekissing each other. It is also a form of affection between pairs of animals.
'They are comical little figures and when standing upright or sitting down on their behinds they look like portly gentlemen with a certain air of aloofness or dignity.
'They are very popular with the zoo visitors and especially children are drawn to them with their cute, charming and sometimes human behaviour.'

source: dailymail

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Two prairie dogs guzzle a piece of a carrot

Two prairie dogs guzzle a piece of a carrot in the Zoo of Salzburg, Austria on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010. The weather fore cast predicts cold and rainy weather for the next days.




A prairie dog eats a piece of carrot in the Zoo of Salzburg, Austria on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2010. The weather fore cast predicts cold and rainy weather for the next days.

source: Daylife
photo: AP photo

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You talkin' to me? The moment a tiny prairie dog squared off against a colossal bison 850 times its weight

By Mail Foreign Service

Plucky: A prairie dog squares up to an American bison in the Witchita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma


Caught in an unlikely showdown with a giant bison, this plucky prairie dog might be best advised to pick on someone his own size.

The cheeky rodent was pictured taking part in an apparent staring battle with the beast in a prairie dog colony – known as a ‘town’ – in the Witchita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, in Oklahoma.

Black-tailed prairie dogs are just 12-16 inches long and weigh between one and three pounds.

American bison, also called American buffalo, can tower at six feet six inches high, 10 feet long, and can weigh a staggering 2,500 pounds.


Outnumbered: The prairie dog cuts a lonely figure among the bison, which can weigh up to 2,500 pounds


Black-tailed prairie dogs are just 12-16 inches long and weigh between one and three pounds


But despite being shockingly smaller than its huge hairy nemesis, the prairie dog seemed happy to stand its ground.

Photography partners David Roberts, who works in the Herpetology and Graphics departments of Dallas Zoo, and David Schleser, a former dentist and curator of the Dallas Aquarium, often venture out into the wilderness on biology and photography projects.

Both from Texas, they lead eco-tourism expeditions to places like the Peruvian Amazon with their photographs being used in several books, field guides, and other publications.

Roberts said: 'Bison often visit prairie dog towns because they excavate large amounts of soil to the surface.

'Bison like to roll in the dust because the dirt helps rid them of parasites, and it just feels good.

'It makes for good opportunities to observe the two species together and sometimes running into each other, like in our photo.'

source: dailymail

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