It’s prairie dog time.
Part of the 11 mile wildlife drive at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge outside Denver, CO is a visit to a black-tailed prairie dog town. Historically, I’ve not been particularly interested in prairie dogs. They’re undoubtedly adorable, and as a keystone species they are integral to their grassland ecosystems so I can appreciate that for sure. But about five minutes in to watching these little ground squirrels, I was in love.
Prairie dogs are highly social and live underground in complex burrows; interconnected rooms and tunnels. These burrows serve as important habitat for other species, such as burrowing owls and endangered black-footed ferrets. They are also crucial in facilitating water movement in grasslands, directing precipitation to the water table and reducing evaporation and runoff. “Coteries”, or family groups of black-tailed prairie dogs, can include up to 25 families, each consisting (usually) of a male, up to three females, and their young. There is some variety in these families, with some having two males and several females, while others have several female groups to a single male. But this is not a sister-wives situation in prairie dog-dom; the females and males are not necessarily friendly, even within a family. This leads to constant arguments and fights. A pretty stressful family life I imagine.
Regardless of the bickering within the families, these curious, social little creatures are hysterical to watch. A particularly chubby prairie dog who looked suspicially pregnant s-q-u-e-e-z-e-d her way out of the entrance to a den, where she hobbled off a few feet to sit in the clover and have a snack. She watched me the entire time, making sure I wasn’t trying any funny business, before waddling back and forcing herself through her hole in the ground again. Remembering back to when I was too close to 10 months pregnant for comfort and the size of an actual blimp, I fully empathized with her. I hoped she was enjoying a nice, dark nap in her cool den. Juvenile prairie dogs would periodically pop out to look around, excitedly chattering and chasing each other near the entrance before getting shoved back inside by a yelling adult. One den entrance had a family unit sweetly kissing each other and looking around for danger. One of the three took off about four feet to yell and chase off a possible intruder before they all dipped back into the earth.
It’s so interesting how a species that serves such critical rolls to their ecosystem - groundwater recharge, habitat for endangered species - can be villainized when they don’t serve an immediate and direct human need. Ecologist John Hoogland with the Prairie Dog Project has been studying prairie dogs since 1974. His website is well worth a visit if you are interested in prairie dog societies, survival, and dispersal.
