Hobbies And Interests
Tunnels
Prairie dogs dig a complicated series of interlinking tunnels, which protect them from predators and runaway fires. The prairie dog's tunnel system is an amazing feat, consisting of various rooms in which the animals rest or store their rations. Nurseries, toilets and underground listening posts are also included in prairie dog towns. The tunnel system includes carefully designed rooms in which the creatures can shelter in case of flooding. These rooms are higher than the standard living area and offer a safe and dry facility until the water in the remainder of the town has subsided. Coteries represent the most obvious adaptations that these large squirrels have made to prairie living; the most extensive prairie dog town covered 25,000 square miles in 1900.
Food and Water
Prairie dogs have adapted to the harsh conditions of their habitat by getting by on minimal amounts of water. These small rodents obtain most of their water from the vegetation that they eat. Prairie dogs are also able to store food in their underground burrows and do not need to always eat on the prairie where they are exposed to land and sky predators.
Physical Adaptations
Prairie dogs possess sharp incisor teeth to easily clip the various grass types on which they feed. They can stand upright for extended periods of time to stand watch, surveying both sky and prairie for potential predators. These social animals have developed a communication system, by which individual members alert the colony to pending danger. Prairie dogs use a rasping vocalization to warn one another, and they scream when attacked. They use different sounds to identify each of their predators, and they disappear quickly underground after raising the alarm. At the approach of a predator, the first prairie dog gives a warning call and dives to safety. Other prairie dog sentinels then monitor the approach of the predator, from tunnel entrances farther along the system.
Social Structure
The now-endangered black-footed ferret, hawks, and a variety of snakes prey on prairie dogs. Living in extended social groups assists this small mammal to keep watch for potential predators. Family groups share food and groom each another. Female prairie dogs mate with numerous males to ensure that their pups carry a selection of genes and therefore have the best possible chance for survival. As another survival strategy, these large squirrels give birth to often as many as eight pups per litter.