RIC-6946 The Comprehension Box 1 - Sample student cards

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Are prairie dogs
really dogs?
Prairie dogs, which are found on the prairies or grasslands of North
America, are not anything like dogs. They are a type of rodent and
belong to the squirrel family. They were called ‘dogs’ because of the
high barking noise they make.
When prairie dogs standing on guard see an enemy, they bark to
warn others about it. Then they run down one of the entrances of their
burrows as fast as they can. This is a wise move because they are very
fast over a short distance and can get to safety quickly. Their enemies
include large birds, snakes, badgers and humans. Prairie dogs have a
different bark for each one.
These animals are about 30 cm tall and have round heads, hairy tails
and short legs. They are a yellowish-brown colour with darker ears
hidden in their fur and a lighter belly. Their large eyes are on the sides of
their head.
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Their burrows, called ‘towns’, have several entrances and side rooms
where they sleep at night, hibernate in winter and store the grass, seeds
and leaves they eat. Prairie dogs get all the water they need from this
food. They also enjoy eating a few insects.
Prairie dogs are not like other rodents because each year they have
only one litter of three to five pups. Pups are born blind and hairless and
only come out of the burrow after six weeks.
So you can see that they are really not a bit like dogs, are they?
R.I.C. Publications ® Comprehension box 1 (108)
Prim-Ed Publishing