关于土拨鼠，你不知道的6件事

Travel through the grasslands of central and western America and you'll likely see and hear countless prairie dogs.

穿越美国中西部的草原，你可能会看到和听到无数草原土拨鼠。

Millions of the adorable burrowing rodents call these plains home, and while they may be a common sight, they have many unique characteristics.

数以百万计的可爱的穴居啮齿动物把这些平原称为家园，虽然它们可能是常见的景象，但它们有许多独特的特征。

Black tailed prairie dogs keep an eye out for dander at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. (Photo: Larry Smith [CC BY 2.0]/Flickr)

Read on for some fascinating facts about prairie dogs.

请继续阅读关于土拨鼠的一些有趣的事实。

1.They were once the most abundant mammals in North America.

它们曾是北美数量最多的哺乳动物。

Black-tailed prairie dogs like these once numbered in the millions. (Photo: Larry Smith [CC BY 2.0]/Flickr)

However, hunting, poisoning and habitat loss decreased the population by more than 95 percent, and today the species numbers somewhere between 10 million to 20 million.

然而，狩猎、中毒和栖息地的丧失使种群数量减少了95%以上，今天的物种数量在1000万到2000万之间。

2.Their link with the plague is frequently overstated

它们与鼠疫的联系经常被夸大

Prairie dogs are mostly found far from humans. (Photo: Larry Smith [CC BY 2.0]/Flickr)

Like many other rodents, prairie dogs are susceptible to the plague, but their response is dramatic: More than 95% of prairie dogs will die within 78 hours of infection with plague, according to the Prairie Dog Coalition fact sheet, compiled with the Humane Society of the United States. As a result, they are a good indicator of the presence of plague in an area.

与许多其他啮齿动物一样，草原土拨鼠也容易感染鼠疫，但它们的反应却是惊人的:根据美国人道协会编制的草原土拨鼠联盟简报，95%以上的草原土拨鼠将在感染鼠疫后78小时内死亡。因此，它们是一个地区鼠疫存在的良好指标。

3.They have well-organized homes.

它们的家庭组织得很好。

A prairie dog peeks out of its burrow. (Photo: Kabacchi [CC BY 2.0]/Flickr)

Prairie dogs live in complex underground burrows with designated areas for nurseries, sleeping and toilets. The tunnel system is designed to allow air to flow through them, providing ventilation, and every exit also has a listening post.

草原土拨鼠生活在复杂的地下洞穴中，有指定的区域作为托儿所、睡觉和厕所。隧道系统的设计允许空气通过它们，提供通风，每个出口也有一个监听站。

4.They live in towns.

它们住在城镇里。

A family of prairie dogs in the snow. (Photo: Lee Winnike/USFWS [CC BY 2.0]/Flickr)

Prairie dogs are social animals, and they live in family groups called coteries that typically contain an adult male, one or more adult females and their young. Coteries are grouped together into wards, and several wards of prairie dogs make up a town or colony.

草原土拨鼠是一种群居动物，它们生活在一种称为群交的家庭中，通常由一只成年雄性土拨鼠、一只或多只成年雌性土拨鼠和它们的后代组成。成群结队的草原犬鼠组成一个城镇或聚居地。

5.They 'kiss.'

它们会接吻

The nose touch has meaning. (Photo: Sarowen/USFWS [CC BY 2.0]/Flickr)

Prairie dogs often "kiss" when they come and go in the area around their burrow. When they do so, they'll touch noses and lock their teeth with one another, which allows them to determine if they're members of the same family group.

土拨鼠经常在它们的洞穴周围来来回回地“亲吻”。当它们这样做的时候，它们会互相摸鼻子和锁住牙齿，这样它们就可以确定它们是否属于同一个家庭。

6.They're ecologically important.

它们在生态环境中很重要

Nibbling on the grass at Cotswold Wildlife Park. (Photo: Stuart Richards [CC BY-ND 2.0]/Flickr)

As a keystone species for the prairies, entire ecosystems rely on these tiny mammals. Their tunneling aerates the soil, and their dung is high in nitrogen, which improves soil quality. Prairie dogs are also a food source for many animals, and their deserted burrows provide nesting areas for a variety of species, including snakes and burrowing owls.

作为草原的关键物种，整个生态系统都依赖于这些微小的哺乳动物。它们的隧道挖掘使土壤通气，它们的粪便富含氮，这改善了土壤质量。土拨鼠也是许多动物的食物来源，它们废弃的洞穴为各种物种提供了筑巢的地方，包括蛇和穴居猫头鹰。