The Prairie Dog
Sentinel of the Plains
Prairie Dogs at a Glance
- Prairie dogs are named for their habitat (grassland) and warning calls, which sound similar to a dog's bark [9].
- Prairie dogs are a rodent in the Sciuridae family (squirrels, chipmunks, marmots and prairie dogs), are most closely related to tree squirrels, and have been referred to as “America’s meerkats” [5,7,8].
- Five species of prairie dogs are at home exclusively on the North American plains: the white- tailed prairie dog, the Mexican prairie dog, the Gunnison’s prairie dog, the Utah prairie dog, and the black-tailed prairie dog [1,2,3,4].
- Although all prairie dogs are similar by their taxonomy, each species diƯers somewhat in size, range and population [1,3,4].
- The black-tailed prairie dog is the most numerous and the most colonial and occupies the largest range of all the species of prairie dogs in North America [1,2,3,4]. Unless otherwise indicated, this fact sheet refers to this species.
- Prairie dogs eat mostly grasses and forbs (wheatgrass, grammas, buffalo grass, cactus pads, thistles, plant roots) high in moisture, but also occasionally insects [1]. They obtain water from the food they eat [1,9].
- Prairie dogs live in colonies, sometimes referred to as prairie dog “towns” recognizable by the mounds and holes at their burrow entrances [9,1,2,3,4]. A “coterie” is a group of related prairie dogs in a colony [1,2,3,4,7,9]. The colony or town is made up of many coteries.
- Prairie dogs dig burrows (up to 7 feet deep and 16 feet long), with multiple chambers and entry points, as well as mounds that serve as watch-towers for the sentry and prevent water from entering the burrows [1,2,3,4,7,9].
- Prairie dogs have a very complex social behavior, including “kissing” which may help them to recognize each other via a scent gland in the mouth [1,2,3,4,7,9]. Over 10 years of research have shown that prairie dogs have 12 diƯerent calls, including diƯerent calls for diƯerent predators (e.g., coyote, domestic dog, red-tailed hawk, human), calling for aid, “all-clear” calls, and can diƯerentiate types of predators based on size, speed, shape and color [4, 7]. Experiments have shown that their language is the most sophisticated vocal animal language ever decoded, more sophisticated than that of primates, whales and dolphins [4,7]. Social chatter is just as important as warning calls, including calls to attract a mate. A “jump-yip” is a common form of expression; this is when a prairie dog raises its chest up, bends back, and jumps oƯ the ground. It also raises its arms, while emitting a high pitched “wee-ooo” call [4, 7].
- Prairie dogs are considered a keystone species, a species that widely aƯects other species in the grassland ecosystem. Like the keystone of an arch, prairie dogs hold the structure of the prairie ecosystem together. They support an entire ecosystem of predators, prey, insects and plant communities of some 150-200 species [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12], and prairie dog towns have been referred to as “coral reefs of the prairie” [11] and a “biological oasis” by the National Park Service [9].
- Prairie dogs and cattle can coexist; prairie dogs supported an immense ecosystem of bison, pronghorn and a healthy number of predators for thousands of years [1,2,3,7,9]. Prairie dogs benefit from overgrazing and bison, pronghorn and other grazing ungulates prefer habitats close to prairie dogs, possibly because of the increased diversity of plant species there [1,2,3,7,9].
Conservation Status
- All five (5) species are decreasing. Threats fall into four main categories: 1) Loss of habitat to agriculture and urbanization, 2) Human intolerance and control activities by government, private organizations, and individuals via poisoning and shooting, 3) Habitat fragmentation and its many eƯects, 4) Exotic disease, particularly sylvatic plague (Yersinia pestis) to which prairie dogs are highly susceptible [1,2,3,4,6,7,8,10,11,12].
- Prairie dog colonies have been reduced by more than 95 percent and as much as 99 percent [1,2,3,4,6,7,10,11,12].
- The Utah prairie dog and Mexican prairie dog are listed as endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) [8].
- The Utah prairie dog is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) [13].
- The Mexican Prairie Dog is listed as endangered under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) [14].
- Prairie dogs have a life span of 3-4 years, and reproduce just once a year, with an average litter size of 3-4 pups (range: 1 to 8); females are receptive less than 1 day a year (5 hours in 1 day), which is the only opportunity for males to mate with them [4,7].
- The widespread reduction of prairie dogs has had a domino eƯect on a host of animal and plant species, causing some to become threatened or endangered, like the black-footed ferret [4,6,8] and others to decline, like burrowing owls and mountain plovers, along side the prairie dog [4, 6,8].
- Only ~ 400 black-footed ferrets remain in the wild, but sylvatic plague has been confirmed in the Conata-Badlands ferret recovery site, threatening 160 individuals, as the prairie dogs in the area, which are the ferret’s main diet, can be wiped out by the outbreak [6,8].1
- In 1998, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) petitioned the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to list the black-tailed prairie dog as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act to preserve the prairie ecosystem and put an immediate stop to both the unregulated shooting and poisoning of prairie dogs [1], but the petition was declined in 2000 (Citing Higher Priorities Species, Will Not List Black Tailed Prairie Dog at This Time | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (fws.gov), and, again, when resubmitted, in 2004 (04-18872.pdf (govinfo.gov).
- Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) is currently working on the draft process to select Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) to determine which species are a conservation priority in the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). Public comments were due July 9, 2024. Colorado Parks & Wildlife - CPW News Release (state.co.us). The draft 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) is due to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service by September 30, 2025 (State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) | Engage CPW).
How to Ensure the Prairie Dog Remains the Custodian of the Plains
- The prairie dog is not only the Sentil of the plains, in that it alerts others of danger, but, in its role as a keystone species, it is also the Guardian of the plains. Here are things that can be done to ensure its continued role, and prevent the collapse of the entire prairie ecosystem.
- First, and foremost, be informed. See above and the bibliography and websites below. Additionally, the books in the bibliography have hundreds of references where detailed information and statistics can be verified.
- Donate to conservancies organizations (e.g., Prairie Protection Colorado [11], Southern Plains Land Trust [12]).
- Help to educate others by sharing this fact sheet and engaging in conversation. For example, some people believe that prairie dogs carry the plague. Generally, however, prairie dog colonies pose little or no real risk to human health. Cases of plague are rare, and prairie dogs, far from being carriers, are highly susceptible to the disease, and entire colonies can succumb to it in a couple of weeks [6,8]. Plague is caused by bacteria (Yersinia pestis) that can be transmitted to humans by the bites of infected fleas or by direct contact with infected animals. Per the Colorado Department of Health and Environment, most human cases of plague are acquired directly from fleas. Detailed information and records is available at their website: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/colorado-plague-data. Taking reasonable precautions to avoid contracting disease, such as using insect repellant and avoiding fleas and contact with wildlife, including prairie dogs, and especially not touching sick or dead animals, is always appropriate.
- Advocate for non-lethal means of prairie dog management, including setting up natural and artificial barriers and passive and active relocation. For detailed information on each of these methods, including step-by-step instructions for a successful prairie dog relocation project, download the Prairie Dog Action Packet at this website: Activist Toolbox — Prairie Dog Coalition.
- Advocate for protection for all five (5) species of prairie dogs – e.g., in 2012, the petition finding for protection of the Gunnison prairie dog was “Warranted But Precluded” [13].
1 In 2009, a plague outbreak wiped out 90% of prairie dogs and shrunk the recovery site’s black-footed ferret
population from 350 to only 50 animals [6].
Bibliography
1. Graves, R.A. 2001. The Prairie Dog – Sentinel of the Plains. Lubbock (TX): Texas Tech
University Press.
2. Hoogland, J. 1995. The Black-Tailed Prairie Dog – Social Life of a Burrowing Mammal. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press.
3. Johnsgard, P. 2005. Prairie Dog Empire – A Saga of the Shortgrass Prairie. Lincoln and London
(NE): University of Nebraska Press.
4. Slobodchikoff, C.N., Perla, B.S., Verdolin, J.L. 2009. Prairie Dogs – Communication and
Community in an Animal Society. Cambridge (MA), and London (England): Harward University
Press
Websites
5. Colorado Parks and Wildlife: https://cpw.state.co.us/conservation/Pages/CON-Prairie
Dogs.aspx
6. Defenders of Wildlife: https://defenders.org/wildlife/prairie-dog/
7. Growing Ideas: https://www.growingideas.tv/
8. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): https://www.iucnredlist.org/
9. National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/black-tailed-prairie-dogs.htm
10. Prairie Dog Coalition: https://www.prairiedogcoalition.org/
11. Prairie Protection Colorado: https://prairieprotectioncolorado.org/
12. Southern Plains Land Trust: https://southernplains.org
13. US Fish and Wildlife Service Environmental Conservation Online System (ECOS):
https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/
14. US Fish and Wildlife Service Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
https://www.fws.gov/international-affairs/cites
Prairie Protection Colorado
Prairie Protection Colorado is a registered 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation.
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Email: prairieprotectioncolorado@gmail.com
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