whitetail prairie dog
- noun
- /ˈhwaɪtˌteɪl ˈprɛəri dɔg/
- US
:
perro de pradera de cola blanca
- The whitetail prairie dog is commonly found in parts of Wyoming and Colorado.
Examples
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Unlike other species, the whitetail prairie dog uses a unique set of warning calls.
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Researchers observed a colony of whitetail prairie dogs near the grasslands.
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I saw a whitetail prairie dog in the field.
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The whitetail prairie dog is known for its social behavior.
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A group of whitetail prairie dogs was playing in the warm sun of the open field.
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Wildlife enthusiasts travel to see the whitetail prairie dog thriving in its natural habitat.
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The distinctive white-tipped tail of the whitetail prairie dog helps it communicate with its colony.
Synonyms
8
4.7
A small animal that digs tunnels and lives in large groups on North American grasslands
A burrowing animal called a prairie dog that lives in North America
Surface Forms
Morphology
whitetail + prairie + dog
The phrase is a straightforward descriptive compound: 'whitetail' (white + tail) modifies 'prairie dog', so the meaning is simply a prairie dog with a white-tipped tail. This adjective+noun species name follows normal compositional patterns and is readily inferable by a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
The noun whitetail prairie dog is named for the animal's most obvious feature: a small ground animal, a prairie dog, with a white-tipped tail. That bright white tip is an easy picture to remember and is why the name points to this particular 'species'.