“… discovered a Village of Small animals that burrow in the grown (those animals are Called by the french Petite Chien) … we found 2 frogs in the hole and Killed a Dark rattle Snake near with a Ground rat [prairie dog] in him … Those Animals are about the Size of a Small Squ[ir]el … much resembling a Squirel in every respect … his tail like a ground squirel which they shake and whistle when allarmd … it is Said that a kind of Lizard also a Snake reside with those animals.” (Meriwether Lewis, Lewis and Clark Expedition, 17 September 1804)