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Black-Tailed Prairie Dog
Black-tailed prairie dogs live in short and mixed grass prairies throughout the Great Plains, including the hilly regions of southcentral Nebraska. Watch for untilled fields or pastures with mounds of sand or dirt in areas of short grass. This typically indicates a prairie dog “town”—a collection of burrows that can cover several acres.
The black-tailed prairie dogs native to this area are active during the day and are often seen feeding or frolicking around raised mounds, which include the entrance to their burrows. Individual female prairie dogs dig burrows where they sleep, raise their young and escape from predators. These social mammals use a series of vocalizations to interact and warn each other of approaching danger.
In the early 1900’s, prairie dogs were thought to number in excess of five billion animals throughout the West, with single prairie dog towns covering thousands of acres of land. Today, prairie dogs only inhabit about one to three percent of their historic range. Prairie dogs are important because nearly 100 other Great Plains species—from burrowing owls to swift fox—benefit from the habitat they create and maintain.
The Prairie Dog Waterfowl Production Area south of Axtell and Harlan County Reservoir near Republican City offer excellent viewing opportunities. Staff at Rowe Sanctuary can provide guidance on other viewing opportunities.