colony life
The Prairie Dog Project
Research by John Hoogland | Since 1974
colony life
A territorial dispute during the mating season escalates into a contact fight. ©Marlin Dart 2017
Aboveground nursing is an uncommon sight in the Gunnison's species. ©MRR 2017
A Gunnison's prairie dog autogrooms (self-grooms). ©MRR 2017
Dry grass provides bedding material in the burrow. ©MRR 2016
WA0x stays close to her busy mother WA0. ©MRR 2016
A compilation of vocal differences for the same call. ©MRR 2016
Alarm calls - variations on a theme. ©MRR 2016
A male pursues a female, sniffing between her legs to check for estrus. ©MRR 2016
A male kills three pre-emergent juveniles; clan members cannibalize the carcasses. Gunnison's prairie dogs. ©MRR 2016
A group of Gunnison's PDs, many of which wandered from different territories and would not usually interact, gather to take advantage of a mineral bed near a water source. ©MRR 2017
Mating calls are occasionally given by males before and/or after copulation. ©MRR 2017
An antipredator/alarm call. ©MRR 2017
A yearling jumps away from an adult male. ©MRR 2017
Keeping the mound free of obstructions and collapsing dirt. ©MRR 2016
Nesting material provides bedding and insulation underground. ©MRR 2017
A female licks her paws clean after working on her burrow mound. ©MRR 2016
A male chases a female into her burrow on her day of estrus. ©MRR 2017
A raptor swoops down off camera, eliciting quick barks. ©MRR 2016
Territorial disputes are common, especially during the mating season. ©MRR 2017
A female greets a group of juveniles, checking for her own offspring in the mix. ©MRR 2017
Play is critical for early development both physically and socially. ©MRR 2017