Prairie dogs

Prairie Dogs

The center of the complex prairie ecosystem

By Mike Link

No Species is more tied to the great plains ecology than the prairie

dog.

Prairie Dog tracking

Note that the canines are lacking.

The molars are prevalent because this is an animal that eats plants and crushes its food rather than tearing.

Like all rodents, the incisors will keep growing if the animal does not wear them down by chewing. This is the same factor that we see so prominently in the beaver.

White Tailed Prairie Dog

And

Black Tailed Prairie Dog

Postures are clues to behaviors

Anti predator call

Another anti-predator call posture

Signaling – a social communication

This is called the jump yip – it is the all clear signal

Social behavior includes grooming

Kissing which is actually touching teeth.

Nursing

Prairie dogs have a gestation period of one month.

Average litter – four, blind and hairless at birth. Young remain underground for

six weeks. They are weaned at 8 weeks. Greatest cause of infant mortality is infanticide by female member of coterie.

The relation of the Prairie Dog to both grasses and predators is complex

Coyotes shared the original prairie habitat with wolves

Using mound as observation post

Burrow site

• Deep soil layers• Few rocks• No flooding• Productive vegetation

regime• Flat land, minimum slope• 30 – 50 entrances per

acre• Entrance use can extend

to 100 years.

• 2 – 5 entrances• Depth of 3 -10 feet• Total length 50 feet• Diameter 4 – 5 inches• Entrance mound 3 – 6

feet.• In dry conditions, mound

may blow away and not build up.

The coyote is a prairie dog predator

Golden Eagles are the most efficient of the aerial predators. Hawks and eagles

are most efficient in winter.

Badgers are the most prolific and will dig up and kill an entire family

Prairie Rattlesnakes Inhabit the burrow, but most often prey on smaller rodents that use the burrows. The

young prairie dogs are usually born while the rattler is hibernating.

Burrowing Owl live in the burrows but seldom predate the dogs

The owls actually benefit from both the burrows and the dogs vigilance in

watching for other predators

Bisons are beneficiaries of the Prairie Dog aeration of the soil, the young, nutritious shoots, and the available

mounds for dusting.

Plants and Prairie Dogs

• The bulk of the prairie dog diet is made up of five grasses

• Blue grama• Buffalo grass• Sixweeks fescue• Tumblegrass• Western Wheatgrass• In one year, one cow eats the equivalent of 256

adult prairie dogs!!

Western Wheatgrass

Blue Grama

Buffalo Grass

Sixweeks fescue

Tumblegrass – also tumble lovegrass

Diet

• The prairie dog diet includes many more plants – such as orange globe mallow.

• The additional plants vary depending upon the season.

• They will eat grasshoppers and have been cannibalistic at times.

• Sometimes they chew taller, more fibrous grasses to clear observation areas.

Grazing by bison and pronghorn also helps to maintain the site lines

for the prairie dogs

Other mammals are aided by the fact that the constant mowing provides the more nutrient rich shoot and reduction of tall grasses encourages forbs

Questions???????

• How does activity level change during day?• Which areas of the dog town have the most young?• Is there are difference in response to humans from those adjacent

the road to the distant mounds? • What is the density of burrows?• Is there always a watch dog? Or do they all forage at the same

time?