var arrayFacts = [ "A Sense of Community:

Prairie dogs live in large colonies called townships, which stretch hundreds of miles underground. Up to 5,000 prairie dogs may live in a township at one time.

Within the township are family burrows called coteries. In the summer, families come out and mingle with one another. In the winter, however, prairie dogs become more defensive and territorial because food is scarce. ", "A Barking Rodent?

Prairie dogs are actually part of the squirrel family!

Why are they called 'dogs,' you ask? Because, like man's best friends, prairie dogs communicate with barking sounds. ", "King of the Colony:

There is only one dominant male in each fifty animal Mexican prairie dog colony! The Mexican prairie dog digs complex burrows for shelter and protection from predators.

These colonies may contain hundreds of animals, if habitat is scarce, but these days they only hold fifty.", "Prairie Dog Suburbs:

Prairie dogs live as a family -- Mom, Dad and three or four kids. Their underground tunnel home has a front door, back door, and separate rooms! They live in a town with about 2,000 other prairie dogs.", "Town Crier:

Each prairie dog 'town' has its own lookout that 'barks' when danger approaches. ", "Just the Facts:

Adult prairie dogs tend to be 12 to 16 inches long, and, in the US, are primarily found west of the Mississippi River", "An Essential Rodent:

Ecologists consider the prairie dog to be essential to their habitats for multiple reasons. They make up an important prey species, as the black-footed ferret, the swift fox, the golden eagle, badger, and ferruginous hawk (among others), primarily feed on the rodents.

Other species, including the Mountain Plover and the Burrowing Owl, also rely on prairie dog burrows for nesting areas.

Grazing animals, such as Bison, Pronghorn and Mule Deer, prefer to graze on the same land that prairie dogs use because they favor a habitat after prairie dogs have foraged through the area.", "On Burrowed Time:

Despite their ecological importance, prairie dogs are frequently labelled pests because they can damage crops, often clearing the area around their burrows of most vegetation.

For this reason, they are sometimes exterminated on ranch lands and are considered an endangered species in some states."];