Prairie dogs are highly social, burrowing rodents belonging to the squirrel family, commonly associated with North American grasslands. These small mammals live in large underground colonies that stretch across wide areas. This article clarifies the prairie dog’s activity patterns, detailing their routines above and below ground.
Diurnal Activity: The Clear Answer
Prairie dogs are strictly diurnal animals, active during daylight hours. They typically emerge from their burrows shortly after sunrise and retreat underground around sunset, contrasting sharply with nocturnal animals and crepuscular species, whose activity peaks at dawn and dusk.
Being active during the day is a survival strategy linked to their environment, allowing them to forage and maintain visual contact with their surroundings. During the hottest summer months, they may exhibit a more crepuscular pattern, concentrating activity in the cooler mornings and late afternoons. This flexibility ensures they can manage their body temperature while meeting their daily needs.
Social Structure and Daily Routines Above Ground
The daytime is dedicated to activities that support the prairie dog’s complex social life. Prairie dogs live in family units called a coterie, typically consisting of one adult male, several adult females, and their most recent offspring. Within the larger colony, or “town,” the members of each coterie work cooperatively.
A significant portion of the day is spent foraging on grasses, leafy vegetation, and forbs. They clip vegetation near their burrow entrances, which clears sightlines to detect approaching threats. Vigilance is formalized by a sentinel, a member of the coterie who stands on the raised burrow mound to watch for predators.
When a threat, such as a coyote or hawk, is spotted, the sentinel emits a distinctive, barking alarm call that warns the entire colony to dive for safety. Surface activity depends on ambient weather conditions; they reduce time above ground when temperatures exceed 100°F or during heavy rain or snow.
Burrow Systems and Periods of Inactivity
The extensive underground burrow system provides refuge for all periods of inactivity, including nighttime and adverse weather. These burrows typically extend three to ten feet deep and fifteen to thirty-five feet in length. The entrances are identifiable by volcano-shaped mounds of excavated soil that serve as lookout posts and prevent rainwater from flooding the tunnels.
The complex tunnels contain multiple chambers designated for sleeping, nesting, and storing food. When the prairie dogs retreat at night, they are protected from nocturnal predators and insulated from colder temperatures. During the winter months, their activity patterns vary significantly by species.
Black-tailed and Mexican prairie dogs remain active throughout the winter, though they may stay underground for multiple days during severe cold. Conversely, the white-tailed, Gunnison’s, and Utah prairie dogs enter a state of deep torpor, a form of hibernation, for several months. Torpor involves a drop in metabolic rate, heart rate, and body temperature, allowing the animal to conserve energy when food is scarce.