Fascinating World of Prairie Dogs

Did you know? Prairie dogs are named for their habitat and warning calls, which sound similar to a dog's bark. [VID: Compilation footage of prairie dogs] | Nature | PBS

Named for the sounds they use to communicate, prairie dogs are very social animals.They live in colonies made up of different families that span several acres of land. Prairie dogs bark to alert all the groups in their area to incoming predators like hawks, coyotes, and foxes.The Complexity of Prairie Dog SoundsPrairie dog noises are actually quite sophisticated. Studies show that the pests use a range of warning sounds for different predators.Both the number of barks and the amount of prairie d

Prairie dogs live in huge, underground networks called "towns." [VID: Did you know? Prairie dogs live in "towns." Towns are huge, underground burrows, found in the prairies and plateaus of North America. Undisturbed towns have tens of thousands of prairie dog residents and go for miles in every direction. In 1900, a prairie dog town the size of Maryland was discovered in Texas. Its tunnels were home to an estimated 400 million prairie dogs.] | Nature | PBS

Prairie dog update! They’re loving the enclosure and we reinforced their burrows with gutter piping to prevent collapsing. We have spoken to the top prairie dog expert in the country and we have learned a LOT after speaking with Dr Seaburg! Prairie dogs are SOOO much more complex than people think, they’re very social and intelligent creatures and most in captivity are literally sucked out of their burrows with a giant vacuum contraption and sold into the pet trade, which I guess is better than