Prairie Dog

Prairie dogs have a stout body, with a narrow, pointed head, very short ears, short legs and tail, and strong digging claws on their fingers. Their fur is short but thick, and is colored yellowish or light brown. Although they can run quickly, prairie dogs do not wander far from the protection of their burrows.

Prairie dogs dig their burrows and grass-lined dens in well-drained soils. The surface entrance to the burrow is surrounded by a conical mound of excavated earth, which is designed to prevent rainwater from draining into the burrow. Nearby vegetation is kept well clipped, to provide a wide field of view for the detection of predators.

Prairie dogs are highly social animals, living in burrow complexes known as towns. Prairie dog towns can contain thousands of individuals, at a density as great as about 75 animals per hectare. In the past, when prairie dogs were more abundant, some of their more extensive towns may have contained millions of animals.

The social structure within prairie dog towns is determined by a dominance hierarchy, in which defended areas are controlled by mature, territory-holding males. The territory of these males is occupied by a harem of 1-4 breeding females, plus their pre-reproductive offspring of the previous several years. These animals join the dominant male in an integrated defense of the group's territory, in a local social subgroup called a coterie. When female prairie dogs become sexually mature at about three years of age, they may be allowed to remain in their natal coterie. However, the male animals are always driven away when they mature, and they must then engage in a high-risk wandering, searching for an opportunity to establish their own coterie.

Prairie dogs are mostly herbivorous, feeding during the day on the tissues of many species of herbaceous plants. They also eat insects, such as grasshoppers, when they are readily available. The grazing activities of prairie dogs can be intense in the vicinity of their towns, and this greatly alters the character of the vegetation.

Prairie dogs often sit upright and survey their surroundings for potential dangers. If an imminent threat is A black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) at the Sonora Desert Museum, Arizona. Photograph by Robert J. Huffman. Field Mark Publications. Reproduced by permission. observed, these animals quickly scurry underground. If only a potential threat is perceived, the prairie dog emits a sharp bark to warn others of the possible danger. This action heightens the state of awareness of the entire colony, and the movements of the marauding coyote, badger, hawk, rattlesnake, or person are closely monitored. There are specific alarm calls for ground-based and aerial predators, and there is also an all-clear signal.

Prairie dogs gain weight through the summer and autumn, and they are noticeably fat and heavy at the onset of winter. Prairie dogs are not true hibernators, entering instead into deep, long sleeps in their hay-lined dens. These intense snoozes are occasionally interrupted for feeding and toiletry. On warm, sunny days the prairie dogs may interrupt their sleepy inactivity, and emerge to the surface to feed and stretch.

Many predators hunt prairie dogs, making these animals an important element of the food web of the prairies. In addition, abandoned burrows of prairie dogs are used by many other types of animals that do not dig their own burrows, for example, burrowing owls (Speotyto cunicularia).

Prairie dogs are often perceived to be agricultural pests, because they can consume large quantities of forage, and thereby compete with livestock. Prairie dogs may also directly consume crops, and when they are abundant they can cause significant damage. In addition, the excavations of prairie dogs can be hazardous to unwary livestock, who can step into an access hole, or cause an underground tunnel to collapse under their weight, and perhaps break one of their legs.

For these reasons, prairie dogs have been relentlessly persecuted by humans, mostly through poisoning campaigns. Regrettably, this means that very few towns of prairie dogs continue to flourish. The great declines in the abundance of prairie dogs has had substantial, secondary consequences for the many predators that feed on these animals, including endangered species such as the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) and burrowing owl.