Squirrel knows how to bark

North American steppe dog squirrels include Cynomys gunnisoni, Cynomys ludovicianus, Cynomys mexicanuss, Cynomys parvidens and Cynomys leucurus. They are all rodents, squirrels, but they are called "dog squirrels" because their special cry when the alarm is dangerous - sounds very similar to barking dogs.

These types of dog squirrels usually live in the steppe, their bodies average about 35cm long, average long tail about 9cm, average weight of about 1.2kg. Their bodies are strong, their legs are short, their toes are clawed.

Dog squirrels live together in crowded flocks, and each herd will dig for herself a whole cave system. The cave is dug deep into the soil, with many rooms connected by long paths. This underground cave system forms an underground "town". Each town of dog squirrels is over 100 hectares wide. Such a town has many thousands of members. In Texas, there is an underground town containing several million dog squirrels.

Dog squirrels eat mainly grass, but they also eat other plants. In addition, they also caught eating grasshoppers and many other insects. They just go out to feed during the day. Due to the extremely crowded numbers, dog squirrels often cause serious damage to the lawn used for livestock.

By the cold season, they hibernate from October or November to the end of March next year.

The double season of dog squirrels lasts from the end of March and throughout the month of April. After a period of 4 weeks of pregnant mothers, there are 2-10 babies born. The young are still in the cave until about 1 month old. After weaning at 8 weeks, the offspring disperse to the edge of the "underground town".

Kinds of dog squirrels distributed in North America (many in Colorado state, New Mexico state, Montana state, Texas state, Wyoming state, Utah). In nature, North American steppe dog squirrels often become prey of eagles, foxes and coyotes.

In conditions of human nourishment, their lifespan is about 8 years.