Prairie Dogs (or something) in Bend (how much, subdivision, live)

[cindycat]

This week we visited friends who live southeast of Bend in the Sundance subdivision. They have a little landscaped waterfall/pond in their back yard. We recognized most of the birds and chipmunks but there was a small rodent we aren't sure about. It looked like a prairie dog but our friends (who've lived in Bend only a few months) said they'd been told there weren't any prairie dogs there. I found a critter called Belding's Ground Squirrel that looks quite similar.

They have some open grassy areas on their property but this pond area is about 20 feet from the house, surrounded by lawn grass.

OK, animal experts, please help me out. Are there prairie dogs around Bend or could it be something entirely different?

Thanks!

[Dry Side]

Belding ground squirrels, ground hogs and even sometimes badgers are quite common in Bend.

[PNW-type-gal]

Further south, but we have yellow-bellied marmots (aka rock chucks) as well. Very large (for a squirrel), around 7-12 pounds at full growth.

[delta07]

Originally Posted by Dry Side

Belding ground squirrels, ground hogs and even sometimes badgers are quite common in Bend.

I've never seen a badger in Bend. They can be pretty vicious? Are you sure you're not talking about the yellow bellied marmot, as PNW gal describes? We have a lot of those in Bend. We also don't have true groundhogs, like the ones you find back east. The "groundhogs" found here are actually prairie dogs.

[Daisy32673]

Rock Chucks...they look like a groundhog/prairie dog.

[PNW-type-gal]

Rock chucks are BIG though - the ones around here have a distinct coloring, that "yellow belly" that gives them their name.

And we definitely have badgers hereabouts - large, very powerful, very cranky if disturbed, and known to go after dogs. They dig burrows with an opening about 10-14" in diameter and they move around their range quite a bit, never staying in a burrow very long.

Chipmunks, golden-mantled ground squirrels, Western ground squirrels, Eastern squirrels, California grey squirrels (pretty sure these are the ones called "grey diggers" that people here tend to hunt because of the damage they do, undermining foundations) are all common.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT_JC1wT3NZ2FOMYxedxmBXFyzGCJwWy NZLn6mCzRiVzio5bjUSLg (broken link)



Do they look like these guys?
If so, we call 'em Sage Rats.
Google "Oregon Sage Rats" to see how much they are loved and appreciated.

[Dry Side]

Yes I can say with certainty we have badgers as a family of them moved into my backyard back in 2007. They dug it up pretty good. The parents would bring back fresh squirrel kill to the pups. They had zero fear of me. They would hiss at me like crazy.

[delta07]

Originally Posted by Dry Side

Yes I can say with certainty we have badgers as a family of them moved into my backyard back in 2007. They dug it up pretty good. The parents would bring back fresh squirrel kill to the pups. They had zero fear of me. They would hiss at me like crazy.

Wow, yeah they're pretty mean! We had one that lived at my parent's cabin in Colorado and it gave their poor dog a run for its money. I didn't realize we had them here in Central Oregon.

[cindycat]

Originally Posted by pdxMIKEpdx

Do they look like these guys?
If so, we call 'em Sage Rats.
Google "Oregon Sage Rats" to see how much they are loved and appreciated.

Anything called "rat" obviously can't be very much "loved and appreciated". I did Google them and watched a few seconds of a video. Ooooo. I'm not against hunting, especially pests...I'm just too soft-hearted to do it myself. Of course, I have been known to sprinkle salt on the slugs up here!

As to your pictures. They're about the right size. I didn't see them standing, so I don't know about the belly color.