Prairie dogs are small, burrowing rodents.
Prairie dogs are small, burrowing rodents that are related to squirrels. Five species of prairie dog exist and are found in open grassland in Arizona, Nebraska, Colorado, Mexico, Wyoming, Utah and South Dakota. They live in small family groups of up to 26 individuals, using strength in numbers to defend against predators.
Coyote
The coyote is among North America's top predators.
The coyote ranges all across North America and is one of the prairie dog's main predators. Coyotes are well adapted to hunt the open grasslands of the U.S. looking for small animals, or in packs bringing down larger prey. Powerful eyesight, hearing and sense of smell help coyotes to track rodents to their burrows, and the ability to dig helps them to get at their prey.
Bobcat
Bobcats are fierce hunters.
The bobcat is a solitary hunter found throughout most of North America. Bobcats are ferocious hunters, twice the size of a domestic cat, and can bring down prey larger than themselves. They hunt at night, using amazing vision and stealth, mainly focusing on small prey such as squirrels, birds and other rodents. The bobcat needs to get within just 3 meters of its prey before it can use its powerful jumping ability to pounce and kill.
American Badger
American badgers can be fierce in hunting and in defending themselves.
The American badger is a stocky, short-legged predator that, like the prairie dog, lives in burrows. Badgers are native to the western and central states as well as some southern areas of Canada. They are fierce creatures who aggressively defend themselves from larger predators and will relentlessly dig prey out of burrows. They eat mainly small mammals, birds, snakes and reptiles and will sometimes kill food and bury it for later.
Golden Eagle
The golden eagle is North America's largest bird of prey.
The golden eagle is found throughout the prairie dog's range and brings death from above. This is the largest North American bird of prey and is able to carry off large rodents, such as rabbits and marmots. Using keen eyesight, the eagle can pinpoint slight movement in the short grass and drop onto its prey at alarming speed, catching it in its talons. Eagles also scavenge from larger dead animal carcasses.
Prairie Falcon
Falcons are fast, agile killing machines.
Found in the western U.S. and parts of Mexico, the prairie falcon is somewhat smaller than the golden eagle, but is just as deadly to small rodents. It also uses amazing eyesight and a swift swooping technique to catch small prey in its powerful talons. As well as small rodents like the prairie dog, these falcons will catch small reptiles, snakes and birds.
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