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Northeastern Wyoming

I enter the monument grounds with great expectations.

On the way up to the tower (3-mile spiral drive) I happen upon this prairie dog exhibit.

A fed prairie dog is a dead prairie dog? What do they mean by that? Are they sensitive to cholesterol and is feeding them potato chips and other fatty snacks going to give them heart attacks? If anything, I'd think a fed prairie dog is a fat, happy prairie dog.

Well, if truth be told, the real reason is too much salt is bad for the little critters. As we all know, human food is typically loaded with salt. Since prairie dogs don't drink water (they get all their moisture from the grasses they graze), any over-amount of salt really dries them out. So much so they dehydrate and die.