Exploring the Diet of Prairie Dogs: Herbivores of the Great Plains

The five species of prairie dogs currently in existence are found in the Americas. They’ve primarily built their habitats along the Great Plains. These creatures have a complex system of communication and are best known for the elaborate burrows they build with their families underneath the surface of the Earth.

But what do they eat?

The prairie dog diet remains more or less consistent whether you’re talking about the black-tailed prairie dog or the Utah prairie dog. Here are the facts and what you should know about the diet of this animal.

What Do Prairie Dogs Eat in the Wild?

The typical diet of a prairie dog is diverse. It is driven by the seasons despite the fact that prairie dogs subsist on an almost entirely vegetarian diet. However, insects are sometimes part of the daily diet for a prairie dog as well.

Summer and spring usually offer the most generous meals for prairie dogs. They feed off of grass and seeds that grow through the season. As these sources begin to dry up in the fall, prairie dogs will transition to eating forbs — the broadleafs from plants that grow flowers. As winter comes around, prairie dogs will transition to seeds and insects that serve as sources of high fiber.

What Do Prairie Dogs Eat in Captivity?

Prairie dogs are becoming increasingly popular choices for pets. Their dietary needs are similar to those of a pet rabbit.

Grass hay will constitute the bulk of a healthy pet prairie dog’s diet, although nutrient-heavy grass hays like alfalfa should be fed only in moderation. Some owners supplement a diet of hay with rabbit pellets, although this isn’t necessary for a healthy diet.

While rabbit pellets are optional, fresh vegetables are a necessity. Prairie dogs are especially fond of dark and leafy greens like cilantro, kale, and bok choy. While prairie dogs don’t regularly encounter fruits in the wild, they love them as treats. Melons and berries are great choices for special occasions. Just be sure that treats constitute 5% or less of your prairie dog’s diet.

What Do Prairie Dog Pups Eat?

A baby prairie dog is known as a pup. They’ll remain nursing exclusively on milk from their mother for the first month or two of their life. After this, they’ll be allowed to emerge from their burrow. While they aren’t capable of foraging by themselves, pups will begin to feed on leaves and grass at this point.

Black-tailed prairie dogs won’t become full adults until 12 to 15 months, but they transition fully to adult food during this point. They also live incredibly active lives. As a result, juvenile prairie dogs in captivity require higher levels of protein to fuel this accelerated stage of growth.

Do Prairie Dogs Eat Their Own?

Not all prairie dogs are cannibals, but the behavior has been found among members of the black-tailed prairie dog species. However, researchers believe that this behavior is an act of natural selection rather than a form of sustenance.

Female prairie dogs are known to eat young members of their extended family. The prevailing hypothesis is that prairie dogs are killing the young of related females so that they can increase the chance of their own young surviving longer.

How Do Prairie Dogs Stay Hydrated?

In ideal conditions, prairie dogs get all the hydration they need from the roots, grass, and plants they consume. However, wild prairie dogs have been known to seek out more creative forms of hydration.

Cacti can provide the scant nutritional value and water content for prairie dogs living through drought conditions. Pregnant prairie dogs have been seen eating snow to nourish their growing young.

You shouldn’t neglect to provide your pet prairie dog with water just because they don’t need it in the wild. Pet prairie dogs thrive when they’re given a regular source of healthy water. A sipper bottle offers the most sanitary way to keep your prairie dogs hydrated, but be sure to regularly clean it to ensure that the water remains healthy.

What Animals Eat Prairie Dogs?

Prairie dogs play an important role as inadvertent farmers in their habitats, but they also serve a critical role as prey species. And there’s no animal that better demonstrates the importance of a functioning food chain than the black-footed ferret.

The near decimation of prairie dogs has also led to the near-extinction of this ferret which relies on prairie dogs for food. They actually use the tunnels that prairie dogs dig to nest and hunt, and the lack of their preferred prey was enough to decimate their population.

Today’s prairie dog population is a mere fraction of what it was decades ago, but they continue to be critical members of the Great Plains ecosystem. Their diets may be conventional, but their habits of foraging — as well as their habits for digging complex underground networks — help fuel life in myriad forms.