Springtime is upon us, and things are starting to heat up for some of Colorado’s wildlife! This March, prairie dogs will have entered their breeding season. The males may mate with one to four females this month, forming their family group called a "coterie". The coterie is a close-knit family that works together to build their burrows, raise their young, and protect each other from other prairie dogs. As soon as April, the coterie will have new members when each female gives birth to an average of three to four pups.
Members of the coterie can be seen "kissing" or nuzzling each other. Prairie dogs are very social and affectionate animals. They greet each other by rubbing noses or touching incisor teeth together, and maintain their relationships by grooming one another. In a world where almost every predator of the plains wants to eat you, it’s good when the coterie has your back.
Prairie dogs aren’t related to dogs at all; they belong to the order Rodentia, the same one occupied by squirrels, mice, and beavers. These prairie rodents are a "keystone species", meaning that many animals of the prairie are dependant on prairie dogs for their survival. Coyotes and raptors depend on them for food while burrowing owls, snakes, and the endangered black-footed ferret use prairie dog dwellings for shelter. Prairie dogs are even good for the diversity of vegetation because they carry seeds and help churn the soil when they dig their burrows.
Colorado has three species of prairie dogs—the black-tailed prairie dog, white-tailed prairie dog, and the Gunnison’s prairie dog. It’s easy to tell them apart; Gunnison’s prairie dogs have a grey coat, and as for the rest, just look at their tail!