“One is never alone in the forest. One is never unobserved.”
A Far-Off Place by Laurens van der Post
In my experience it is seldom that a prairie dog will allow humans to come very close. But, for some reason this little one let me closer than usual. His hole was located along the outer edge of the prairie dog town. They can detect predators from a far distance and then alert other prairie dogs to the danger with their special, high-pitched call. They are considered a keystone spicies, which means they have a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance. They provide food source the many prairie animals such as the fox, coyotes, raptors, badger, and snakes. They are definitely a pest for farmers and ranchers due to the towns they build. Anyway, this little one was letting me know I was being closely observed.
10 Comments
Steve Skinner
This guy has very keen eyes. Have a happy Thanksgiving Monrw!
Monte Stevens
I also like the sparkle in it’s eye. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Earl
Monte, perhaps this prairie dog knew that turkey was the main item on the human menu at the time of year.
Have a wonderful, Thanksgiving!
Monte Stevens
LOL And I wish you and Bonnie a Happy Thanksgiving.
Ken Bello
These critters have collapsed whole building by tunneling under them when the population gets a little out of control. But you can’t argue that they can be pretty cute when you see them up close. In some of the parks we visited in South Dakota, they were pretty bold trying to get handouts from the tourists. Nice shot, Monte, Happy Thanksgiving.
Monte Stevens
I sure wouldn’t feed them. Seems like there’re a lot of them around s it’s hard to imagine how many there were 150 years ago.
Anita Jesse
Yep, it’s that sparkle in the eye. Great shot of this little guy. They are irresistibly cute—in spite of their treacherous burrows.
Monte Stevens
Cute and a necessary part of our natural world. Happy Thanksgiving.
Faye White
I’m so glad he decided to pose for you!
Monte Stevens
Me too! But they were keeping a close watch on me.