California prairie dog (SciiFii)

The California prairie dog (Cynomys californianus) is a species of rodent of the family Sciuridae, most closely related to the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and that introduced throughout the open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, and scrublands across North America on the west side of the Rocky Mountains, including California (hence the species' name), to help boost biodiversity. California prairie dogs are generally yellowish-tan in color, with lighter-colored bellies. They may have color variation in their pelt, such as dark fur on their back in black and brown tones. Their tails have black tips. Adults can weigh from 1.5 to 3.0 lb (0.68 to 1.36 kilograms), males are typically heavier than females. Body length is normally from 14 to 17 inches (36 to 43 centimeters), with a 3-to-4 inch (7.6-to-10.2 centimeter) tail. The California prairie dogs have black long claws used for digging. The body of the California prairie dog is compact, and the ears are small and close to the head. The calls of the California prairie dogs are almost identical to those made by black-tailed prairie dogs and serves the same function. California prairie dogs are selective opportunists, preferring certain phenological stages or types of vegetation according to their needs. When forage is stressed by grazing, drought, or herbicides, they change their diets quickly. Grasses are preferred over forbs, and may comprise more than 75% of their diets, especially during summer. Water, which is generally not available on the short-grass prairies, is obtained from vegetation such as plains prickly pear and other plants. It is estimated that one California prairie dog eats about 7 lb (3 kg) of herbage per month during summer. Cutworms, grasshoppers, and old or fresh bison scat are occasionally eaten. California prairie dogs are diurnal. Above-ground activity is reduced when rain or snow is falling and during days when the temperature exceeds 100 °F (38 °C). During the winter months, California prairie dogs do not fully hibernate. They continue to leave the burrow to forage, but will enter a state of torpor at night to conserve energy. Torpor is categorized by a drop in metabolism, heart rate and respiration similar to hibernation, but is involuntary and shorter in duration. On average, California prairie dogs will lose twenty percent of their body weight during the fall and winter seasons when they go through bouts of torpor. As winter progressed, the amount of time spent in torpor increases. Between different colonies the overall time spent in torpor varies, independent of prairie dog body mass. This may be due to weather during the previous growing season. As California prairie dogs receive most of their water from their diet, in years with poor rainfall, the California prairie dogs spend more time in torpor. California prairie dogs live in colonies. Colony size may range from five to thousands of individuals, and may be subdivided into two or more wards, based on topographic features, such as hills. Wards are usually subdivided into two or more coteries, which are composed of aggregates of highly territorial, harem-polygynous social groups. Individuals within coteries are amicable with each other and hostile towards outside individuals. At the beginning of the breeding season, a coterie is typically composed of one adult male, three to four adult females, and several yearlings and juveniles of both sexes. After the breeding season and prior to dispersal of juveniles, coterie size increases. Reasons for dispersal include new vegetative growth at colony peripheries, shortage of unrelated females in a coterie, harassment of females by juveniles, and probably an innate genetic mechanism responding to increased density within a colony. Males typically leave the natal territory 12 to 14 months after weaning, during May and June, but dispersal may occur throughout the year. Females generally remain in their natal coterie territories for their lifetimes. Intercolony dispersers moved an average distance of 1.5 mi (2.4 km) from their natal site. Roads and trails may facilitate California prairie dog dispersal. The conservation status of the California prairie dog is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the California prairie dog's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.