Animal Life
Temperate grasslands have a low diversity of wildlife, but a high abundance of wildlife. In North America the dominant grazing animals are bison and pronghorn. Rodents include pocket gophers and prairie dogs. Carnivores include wolves, coyotes,swift foxes, badgers and black-footed ferrets. Birds include grouses, meadowlarks, quails, sparrows, hawks and owls.
Bison: Bison are considered a keystone species: they once roamed the continent in great herds, and their grazing pressure helped shape the ecology of the Great Plains.
Prarie Dogs: Prairie dogs are burrowing rodents that live in large colonies in the grasslands of central and western North America. The five species of prairie dogs (black-tailed, white-tailed, Gunnison’s, Mexican and Utah) were once likely more than one billion strong, and their colonies covered roughly 100 million acres. Since the late 1800s, their numbers have been reduced by at least 95 percent, and they are now found in comparatively small and fragmented colonies that total roughly 2-3 million acres. The wolves, swift foxes, black-footed ferrets are all dependent on the prairie dogs for food and without them their population would near extinction, as is happening in South Dakota.
Wolves.: The wolf is the largest member of the canine family. Gray wolves range in color from grizzled gray or black to all-white. As the ancestor of the domestic dog, the gray wolf resembles German shepherds or malamutes. Wolves are making a comeback in the Great Lakes, northern Rockies and Southwestern United States.
Swift Foxes: The swift fox is a small fox around the size of a domestic house cat and is found in the western grasslands of North America, such as Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.
Black-Footed Ferrets: The endangered black-footed ferret is a member of the weasel family. It is the only ferret native to North America the domestic ferret is a different species of European origin and has been domesticated for hundreds of years. The black-footed ferret has a tan body with black legs and feet, a black tip on the tail and a black mask. It has short legs with large front paws and claws developed for digging. Its large skull and strong jaw and teeth are adapted for eating meat.
Bison: Bison are considered a keystone species: they once roamed the continent in great herds, and their grazing pressure helped shape the ecology of the Great Plains.
Prarie Dogs: Prairie dogs are burrowing rodents that live in large colonies in the grasslands of central and western North America. The five species of prairie dogs (black-tailed, white-tailed, Gunnison’s, Mexican and Utah) were once likely more than one billion strong, and their colonies covered roughly 100 million acres. Since the late 1800s, their numbers have been reduced by at least 95 percent, and they are now found in comparatively small and fragmented colonies that total roughly 2-3 million acres. The wolves, swift foxes, black-footed ferrets are all dependent on the prairie dogs for food and without them their population would near extinction, as is happening in South Dakota.
Wolves.: The wolf is the largest member of the canine family. Gray wolves range in color from grizzled gray or black to all-white. As the ancestor of the domestic dog, the gray wolf resembles German shepherds or malamutes. Wolves are making a comeback in the Great Lakes, northern Rockies and Southwestern United States.
Swift Foxes: The swift fox is a small fox around the size of a domestic house cat and is found in the western grasslands of North America, such as Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.
Black-Footed Ferrets: The endangered black-footed ferret is a member of the weasel family. It is the only ferret native to North America the domestic ferret is a different species of European origin and has been domesticated for hundreds of years. The black-footed ferret has a tan body with black legs and feet, a black tip on the tail and a black mask. It has short legs with large front paws and claws developed for digging. Its large skull and strong jaw and teeth are adapted for eating meat.