Exploring the Unique Behaviors of Prairie Dogs: From Kisses to Territorial Fights

Prairie dogs have a lot of funny behaviors. They leap into the air, whistle, chatter, yip, and kiss. Perhaps you’ve seen a video clip of two prairie dogs putting their faces together and kissing. Biologists have studied this kissing behavior and have come to some surprising conclusions. Interestingly, a prairie dog kiss is not really a sign of affection. Prairie dog kisses are a way for prairie dog families to communicate. Continue reading to learn why prairie dogs kiss, how they live, and what they do when danger is near.

Why Do Prairie Dogs Kiss?

When prairie dogs kiss, they are pushing their front teeth together. They do this in greeting and identification. In kissing, they receive information about one another, primarily through scent, to identify members of their family as well as potential threats. A baby (pup) will kiss its mother for comfort and to know she is nearby.

Family Matters to Prairie Dogs

A family of prairie dogs is called a coterie. A coterie can contain as many as 19 members. A coterie typically consists of one male and multiple females, along with their young. A prairie dog coterie lives around other prairie dog coteries. All of these families live relatively close to one another to form a colony or town. Welcome to prairie dog town!

Take a close look at the habits of this small mammal, and you’ll discover that a colony of prairie dogs is divided into wards. Generally, each coterie remains in its ward. One ward may be located just over a small ridge or hill from another. The families in each ward can see and hear each other, but don’t interact. They may even share a food source in the area. All of the coteries enjoy the safety of living near each other while rarely acknowledging each other.

Is Kissing Always a Positive Behavior?

No. A kiss between prairie dogs can be a way of finding an intruder. Male prairie dogs are extremely territorial. With just one male in a coterie, that male wants to protect not only the females and young in his family, but his burrow as well. If a male tries to invade another male’s coterie, it can quickly turn into a vicious encounter.

Female prairie dogs sometimes try to enter the coterie of another female to kill her young. Why does this happen? One of the reasons a female kills another’s young is to remove future competition for food in the habitat. Also, by killing the young, it can cause a shift in territory, allowing more space for the invading female and her young. These cunning animals are simply ensuring their survival and the survival of their young.

How Do Prairie Dogs Defend Their Territory?

A fight for territory between males can cause minor or even serious injury. These mammals have very sharp teeth and claws. A fight involves two prairie dogs chasing each other, rolling on the ground, and biting one another. This happens until one of the males moves away, in an admission of defeat.

Two fighting prairie dogs make a lot of growling and snarling sounds. This attracts the attention of other males in the area. So, in the process of fighting one male, the dominant male is showing others in the area that he is the strongest. This may discourage other males from challenging him in the future.

Of course, some males do lose their territory to stronger males in the course of a fight. As a consequence, the weaker male is forced to find another place to live and establish another family. Strength and the ability to defend a territory are essential for male prairie dogs.

How Big is the Territory of a Prairie Dog?

A single coterie claims approximately one acre of territory. But keep in mind, some prairie dog towns can stretch over hundreds of acres of land. In Texas, biologists report a prairie dog town spread out over 25,000 square miles!

How Do Prairie Dogs Defend Themselves Against Predators?

These small animals are always on alert. There’s a good reason for that. Badgers, coyotes, eagles, foxes, and snakes are all on their long list of predators. Though they are not large enough to battle successfully with these predators, prairie dogs do have some ways to defend themselves.

A prairie dog’s sight and hearing are both excellent. This helps them remain on alert to predators in the area. When one prairie dog sees or hears danger, it begins to alert others in its coterie and the colony at large, through a series of chirps and barks. This animal stands on its hind legs, chirping and barking loudly into the air. Other prairie dogs start to echo the warning through the territories. This gives the prairie dogs time to take cover in their underground burrows.

When the predator has moved out of the area or the danger has disappeared, these animals jump around and make a yipping sound to tell others in the area that it’s safe. This cooperative behavior of these animals may not always save every life, but it gives most of them a real chance to avoid danger.