JXTA in a Nutshell

Colophon

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The animal on the cover of JXTA in a Nutshell is a prairie dog. Prairie dogs, named for the barking sound of their cries, are large, bushy rodents that can be found in the prairies and plateaus of the western United States and northern Mexico. They live in burrows that form colonies, or “towns.” There are two main species of prairie dogs. The black-tailed variety (Cynomys ludovicianus) is more abundant, inhabiting the Great Plains and the Great Basin. This species digs burrows that can be many miles long and include thousands of individuals. The other variety, the white-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus), occurs in higher altitudes than its black-tailed counterpart. While most species of prairie dog are less active in the wintertime, the white-tailed prairie dog hibernates for the entire season. It is also less colonial than C. ludovicianus.

Prairie dogs weigh 1 1/2-3 pounds. They are 11-13 inches long, with a tail of 3-4 inches. Their heads are round and wide, and their fur is varying shades of yellow, with darker ears and a whitish underside. They often raise themselves on their haunches and sit upright in rows (a behavior often referred to as “picket pins” in some areas), and can reach a speed of up to 35 miles per hour for ...