Black-tailed Prairie Dogs
One of the joys of visiting western Canada and in particular the Prairies is the amazing diversity of birds and mammals you may encounter. It’s always a thrill to see new species that we don’t see on a regular basis in Ontario or Eastern Canada for that matter.
One of my favourites is the Black-tailed Prairie Dog. These gregarious and sociable animals are adorable creatures, and their hilarious antics can keep you entertained for hours.
I don’t know what’s going on here, but one of the Prairie Dogs looks highly amused!
A little background on the Black-tailed Prairie Dogs in Canada. The only place in Canada where Prairie Dogs exist is in Grasslands National Park in Southern Saskatchewan. Though they are distributed as far south as Mexico and through much of the central United States, they are still considered a threatened species losing over ninety percent of their population in the last hundred years. Our Canadian Prairie Dogs are at the very far edge of the northern range for these animals.
Range Map of Black-tailed Prairie Dogs
Notice that their range barely reaches inside the Canadian border.
As soon as you enter the Grasslands Ecotour Road, you will be greeted immediately by the Black-tailed Prairie Dogs as Dogtown One is just inside the entrance.
It’s hard to believe it was less than one hundred years ago in the year 1927 that the Black-tailed Prairie Dogs were first discovered in Canada near Val Marie, Saskatchewan. There are twenty-seven dog towns aka colonies in Grasslands National Park and three of the dog towns are located right alongside the eco-tour road, so you can view the Prairie Dogs up close.
Here’s three Black-tailed Prairie Dog Pups. Cutie pies!
So, if you do have time to just sit and observe these wonderful creatures, you may be in for some surprises.
Quite often Burrowing Owls can be spotted near a dogtown as the burrows are excellent nesting habitat for the owls. The Prairie Dogs are safe as the diet of the Burrowing Owl does not include Prairie dogs. They are too large a prey item for these tiny little owls which prefer mostly a diet of insects. The best time to spot Burrowing Owls is closer to dusk when they become more active.
Prairie Dogs are always alert, as there are many threats that can come from the skies including Ferruginous Hawks, Swainson’s Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks and Prairie Falcons to name a few. They also must be alert for ground predators such as Coyotes and Prairie Rattlesnakes that are looking for a tasty meal.
Prairie Dogs are excellent communicators and are always looking out for each other with an elaborate language of different whistles and behaviors.
My favorite is watching a colony do the wave, like the ones they do at a sports stadium. In the Prairie Dog World, scientists call it the jump-yips. It is quite comical, but what purpose it serves is a bit of a mystery.
To do a jump-yip, a black-tailed prairie dog will suddenly jump up bending itself backwards and will raise its arms and make a wee-oo call which is the ‘yip’. Then the next closet prairie dog will jump-yip and the rest of the colony will follow suit, one after another they will all do the jump-yips creating the wave-like sequence. It really is something to see!
Why do the Prairie Dogs do this unique behaviour is not quite known, but there are a few theories.
One theory is that there was predator in the area and has now left the vicinity and they do the jump-yips to let the colony know it is safe.
Another theory which also has to do with the safety of the colony. Somebody must start the wave, so after the initial jump-yipper, the next closet Prairie Dog will jump-yip and the more Prairie Dogs that participate the jump-yip wave in the colony, means that more of the colony of prairie dogs are alert. In scientific studies the Prairie Dogs will then feed above their burrow for a more prolonged period after a jump-yip knowing that the colony is alert.
It’s also theorized that it could be over territorial disputes, or it could be a form of social bonding which are quite the opposites. I think common sense says that the first the two theories are probably the closest to the truth. Whatever the real reason is, it’s a cool thing to witness!
If you are ever in Grasslands National Park, the Black-tailed Prairie Dog Towns are a must stop.
Thanks for reading. Please feel free to leave a comment.
Wonderful recap! We feel the same about Prairie Dogs after our visit to Grasslands this past September.
It is such an amazing experience to travel to Saskatchewan to see the Black-tailed Prairie Dogs. The entire eco-systems there is well worth your time. And Murray you have captured this part of it, perfectly in your blog.