It's not surprising that prairie dogs, those rambunctious little ground squirrels who once numbered in the millions throughout the Great Plains, would take to cyberspace like ducks to water. Their little cybercommunity has been burrowing deep into the fertile ground of Internet web sites, building tunnels that reach out to an expanding community of domesticated PDs, environmental and nature sites and, of course, rodent lovers.
Unfortunately, they're not doing as well in real space, where, along with so many other once-thriving species, they are losing ground in their battle for survival. Quite literally, in fact, the grasslands they inhabit are rapidly disappearing - being replaced by human communities that don't want their lawns plowed by the energetic tunnelers and cattle ranches, whose owners regard the cheerful little subterranianites as pests.
For years ranchers have been waging war on the prairie dog - with poisonings and wholesale massacres of entire dog towns by pumping water, smoke, or poisonous gas down the entry holes of their warrens. Texas animal-catcher Chester Antilley, who fears the prairie dog will soon become little more than a mythic memory in the state, claims their numbers are probably less than a tenth what they used to be, and in some counties where their towns were once plentiful there are now no dogs to be seen.
The irony is that removing prairie dogs to protect the grasslands for cattle is doing more harm than good. Prairie dogs are natural fertilizers of the ground. Not only do their extensive underground tunnel systems aerate the land, but their incessant nibbling on the grass increases its protein content and digestibility, making it more desirable for cattle and bison.
The burrows provide homes and protection for many other species in the grassland ecosystem, too, including rabbits and hares, mice, spiders, toads, black-footed ferrets and many other small creatures. And ferrets, coyotes, foxes, owls, and hawks depend on prairie dogs for food. They are, in fact, considered a keystone species of the grasslands - one whose presence is essential to the health of the entire habitat.
But a growing number of people are coming to appreciate the gregarious little ground squirrels just for their irresistibly charming personalities. Living in towns that can number in the hundreds, the PDs have about 11 distinct calls as well as other vocalizations and an extensive repertoire of body language. Their sharp warning "bark," sounded to alert the community to danger, gave them their name. One particularly interesting communication combines a "yipping" call with a jump and kick. Entire communities have been seen performing this yip-jump, giving the appearance of a wild dog town dance.
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