Martin B Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Right... So not you're everyday pet I suppose. But in July after two years of searching I managed to get a pair of Black Tailed Prairie Dogs. They have been my favourite animal for some time, and I am highly intrigued by their communication system which is one of the most complex in the whole Animal Kingdom! They are so interesting to watch! They are kept indoors at night time but go out in their run during the day! And it will soon be time for them to hibernate... So let me introduce you to Rocky and Daisy... Daisy (female) Rocky (male) Rocky is very friendly and loves a fuss, but Daisy is still reluctant after three months of trying!! If you have any questions about their husbandry then please just ask.. Thanks for looking, Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..lay a little egg for me Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 They are very cute! Like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 They are lovely Martin - are you taking them to Uni with you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted October 7, 2010 Author Share Posted October 7, 2010 I am at Aston Uni Clare, so commute every day by car or train rather than live on campus... Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 They're lovely Martin - and nice to see you back as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Couperwife Posted October 10, 2010 Share Posted October 10, 2010 Hi Marin *waves* good to see you back * wow, they look great i love the first picture - it looks like one is whispering in the other ones ears "pose for the camera dear - he is taking photos again ) cathy x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted October 11, 2010 Share Posted October 11, 2010 oh they are so cute!! (the prairie dogs that is!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 How sweet... I saw one once, quite a while ago, at the place I got my pygmy hedgehog from, and it was very tame and lovely... was very tempted at the time!! DD2 has been wondering what pet to get next (her room is already invaded by one hedgehog and two guinea pigs, but she's still keen to expand), I bet she'd love to read up on these... maybe that would make her stop ask me if we can get a capybara . What kind of care do they need? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted October 14, 2010 Author Share Posted October 14, 2010 They are very active animals and can't be kept on their own. In the wild they may have up to 30 Prairie Dogs in their own coeterie(family group) and 1,000's in their town (groups of family groups close together). They eat lots and lots of different foods. Their main food is Timothy Hay which they also use as their bedding indoors. They also eat lots of fresh fruit and veg, rabbit/guinea pig foods, seeds and nuts as treats. I also find that they like cat biscuits and no salt oat cakes which helps keep their teeth at manageable levels. Having access to outdoor space their nails are trimmed naturally by digging in the ground. However if they are kept permanently indoors then you can provide digging materials which will help manage nail size. Sand etc will keep their coat in good shape, and they love rolling in it. I wouldn't reccomend them for young children or anyone with little experience of exotic animals unless you were prepared to get bitten along the way. Thankfully I have not been bitten as yet, but I have seen other PD owners being scratched or bitten and the wound was quite deep as their teeth are huge and once they get hold of something they will not let go. Where did you see one, was it in a pet shop? They are very hard to get hold of, it took me about two years to get hold of these two and I have seen them sold in pet shops at £350 each, so £700 per pair. If you have any more specific questions, don't be affraid to ask... Martin I put a stuffed Santa toy in their cage and they ripped it apart in seconds! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 blimey Martin you're a brave man!! (re the bites/scratches and Santa!!) I'm guessing they are rodents from North America? gorgeous little things, but I think I might steer clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 They do look cute but I wouldn't get any as they remind me of squirrels and I've been bitten by a squirrel and boy does it hurt. I'm not showing any of my children as I know what they would say..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beach chick Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 no, not showing my kids either Seagazer, especially as youngest is currently angling for a hamster!! I am not keen on hamsters.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 I'm fending off my 23 year old DD's requests for another guinea pig at the moment.... she would definitely love the Prairie dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Where did you see one, was it in a pet shop? They are very hard to get hold of, it took me about two years to get hold of these two and I have seen them sold in pet shops at £350 each, so £700 per pair. If you have any more specific questions, don't be affraid to ask... Martin I put a stuffed Santa toy in their cage and they ripped it apart in seconds! Blimey!! Poor Santa!! Had he brought them the wrong toy or lost their xmas letter?? They do sound like they are more for the experienced owner. Mind you, my daughter is now 11, got her pygmy hedgehog just over a year ago and did a great job with him, handling him every day and he is totally relaxed with her, and she also has experience with many other animals... I think having 2 guinea pigs and a hedgehog in her bedroom is enough for now, especially as she also has the chooks, and a cat, and a share of the dog... Not sure I'd like to keep any of those little prairie dogs near an Irish Setter! With the biting in mind, probably more peace of mind for me if she doesn't get too interested in these... Just need a way to get her off the capybara idea... The prairie dog I saw was at Yarnton nurseries near Oxford... They only had the one, and never got another after the one they had went. We saw him the day we got our hedgehog, the guy in the shop took us to see him, and took him out and handled him and he seemed very relaxed and friendly. His face was just the same as your ones, but he seemed quite a bit fatter! He was also very expensive, can't remember quite how much, but I think they didn't get any more because few people are interested or knowledgeable enough to invest that kind of money or give proper care. They had stopped supplying hedgehogs before we got ours from them, but because the guy in the store had contacts with the breeder, he could get one just for us... These days they only have more common pets, rabbits, guineas, birds and so on, and a few reptiles. Thanks for the info, you're a wealth of information! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Have they got the pet section at Yarnton up and running again then? Last time I went there was a massive revamp going on and virtually no animals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 They start a new massive re-vamp every time the last re-vamp has just finished And strangely enough, it's never an improvement... just a shuffling around involving weeks of work... and now I have to trek miles in the store to get anything... go figure!! But they do usually have Charlie's food in big bags, if I dig deep enough under all the rest of the stuff and under the other big bags, or climb behind the last big re-vamp make-do shelves... then if their tills work, and if the big bag is actually listed, it's a reasonable deal... To be fair though, the guy who got us Suki's hedgehog sounded both knowledgeable and interested, and loved the prairie dog... chatted for ages!! I can't figure their new outdoor thing though... they have goats and pigs... for sale? for show? no idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 And just to add... I wouldn't mind having to trek miles through the whole place... except for the irregular flooring, which makes my trolley sound like a drilling powertool... I swear that whenever I go there, the whole garden centre comes to a standstill watching me push my empty trolley decidedly in the direction of the pet shop, to then stand still again when I walk out again with a 15kg bag of dog food, a 10kg bag of cat food, guinea pig food, rabbit food, chicken food and tons of sawdust... just imagine the racket! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted October 15, 2010 Share Posted October 15, 2010 I know exactly what you mean Ziggy I used to love that they were so knowledgeable about their animals, but it always seems so chaotic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziggy Posted October 16, 2010 Share Posted October 16, 2010 That's true, Claret, when we bought our hedgehog, that's what I liked about it, the guy there seemed familiar with the specie (not so common when it comes to pygmy hedgehogs), and seemed to know a lot about the reptiles and the prairie dog... also he seemed to care a lot, I was surprised he could bring himself to sell any animal!! But yes, organisation is not their forte! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
