Abstract
Eye lenses were collected from black-tailed prairie dogs ( Cynomys ludovicianus ) in Billings Co., North Dakota, in 1977, and fixed in 5% formalin. Lenses were dried at 95°C for ca. 96 h to a constant weight and weighed to the nearest 0.2 mg. Eye-lens weight of young increased rapidly during their 1st summer of life, but increases in weight tapered off in older age classes. Young were readily discernible from yearlings, and yearlings from 2-year-olds. Two-year-olds were sometimes difficult to distinguish from older animals. Mean weight of eye lenses for males was slightly heavier than that for females in all age classes, but significantly so only in yearlings. Using weight of eye lenses was a reliable technique for aging young during their 1st summer of life and for separating young, yearlings, and 2-year-olds. For older prairie dogs, we suggest using other aging methods in conjunction with weight of eye lenses.
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