A Different Kind of Dog

The prairie dog is an interesting mammal. It makes a barking sound, but it looks more like a squirrel than a dog. And, prairie dogs are members of the squirrel family. Other animals in this family are groundhogs, chipmunks, and woodchucks.

Prairie dogs grow to be about 10 to 16 inches long and can weigh between 1 and 4 pounds. They have broad, rounded heads and short stubby legs; they have sharp claws on their feet. Their fur is brown or reddish. Prairie dogs can run very fast—up to 35 miles per hour.

Prairie dogs make their home in prairies, or open grasslands of North America. There, they dig burrows to live in. These burrows are 6 to 10 feet underground and have several tunnels and chambers. The burrows also have many entrances. Some allow fresh air to ventilate, or flow through, the burrow. Others provide lookout points where prairie dogs can watch for predators.

Prairie dogs are very social animals. They live in families, called coteries (ko ta res). A coterie has at least one adult male, one or more females, and their young. Coteries live together in wards. Several wards group together to form a town or colony. Prairie dogs play and work together in their towns. They take care of one other by protecting their town. They share food and groom each other. They work together to keep the group safe. While some search for food, others stand guard and watch for enemies. They can detect predators from very far away.

Grass, green leafy plants, and seeds are the main foods of prairie dogs. But they also eat insects. Prairie dogs stay in their burrows during winter and rely on their body fat for survival. In spring, they come out of hibernation for breeding. Breeding season is the time for starting new families.

Communication between prairie dogs is very advanced. They can produce a variety of barks and chirps. These sounds communicate different messages. Another way prairie dogs communicate is by greeting each other with a "kiss." They touch noses and lock teeth, and this is how they know if they are members of the same coterie.