[Transcript]

Meet the Prairie Dog

Are you looking at the prairie? So what do you see out there? In the heart of the windswept plains lies one of the most iconic and important inhabitants of the prairie, the prairie dog.

Welcome to the lifestyles of the small, black-tailed, and furry. Sorry, that was my very bad Robin Leach impression. 

That one's going out to all my fellow Gen Xers out there. The prairie dog wakes up as soon as the sun peaks over the horizon. There's no snooze button for this guy. 

A Day in the Life

The first order of business is to climb out of the burrow and take a really good look around.

This is his chance to check for any predators that might be lurking about. He lives in a pretty safe neighborhood, but you never can be too careful, especially if you're a prairie dog. 

The prairie dog's family is called a coterie. He lives in his burrow with his female partners and about a dozen little prairie dog juniors.

As the head of the coterie, he's got the big responsibility of keeping them all safe, but he can't do that on an empty stomach. 

So if the post is clear, it's breakfast time. The prairie dog forages for a quick little bite of wildflowers and tasty clover before going for a morning chat with his neighbors.

Now to the outside ear, it sounds like just a random series of yaps, barks, and whistles, but in prairie dog language, the neighbors are sharing specific information for all of the things that they've spotted so far today. 

Oh, that means the bison are pretty cranky today. I'm just kidding. I have no idea what it means. 

I don't speak prairie dog. Anyway, the rest of our prairie dog's day is a mix of munching on grass, sunbathing on the warm dirt mounds, and just hanging out with his friends.

The Prairie Dog Town

The neighborhood's big. It spans quite a few acres. So he and his neighbors have constructed underground burrows for their families that are all interconnected by a network of tunnels. The prairie dogs in this town really look out for each other. 

As the sun starts to set, it's back to the burrow for our furry friend. Safe underground, the family huddles together for warmth. Nights on the South Dakota prairie can get pretty chilly. 

A Keystone Species

Now, what our prairie dog friend might not know is that he's considered a keystone species of Wind Cave National Park.

That means they're one of the most important species to the health and well-being of the whole ecosystem.

Their grazing patterns prevent the prairie grasses from becoming overgrown, which allows for a diversity of plant life to flourish.

In turn, that plant life will continue to provide food and shelter for many other species.

And those intricate burrow systems the prairie dogs create aren't just cozy homes for themselves.

They also provide shelter for a variety of other animals like burrowing owls, rabbits, and snakes.

And as they dig, prairie dogs bring up nutrients from deep underground to the surface.

This aerates the soil and helps it retain moisture, which benefits the entire prairie ecosystem.

So thank you, prairie dog, for giving us this glimpse into your fabulous furry little life.