David Welling / Utah Prairie Dog (Cynomys parvidens) standing on watch outside their burrow. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA, August.

John Cancalosi / Blacktail Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) engaging in Jump-yip behavior - A strong arch of the back or "jump" followed by a shrill "yip" - Thought to occur when a predator has left the area and in...

Charlie Summers / Three Western Black-tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) at entrance to burrow. Cheyenne River drainage south of Hot Springs, South Dakota, USA

Charlie Summers / Black-tailed Prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) on hind legs, emitting territorial call, Downtown Parker, Colorado, USA, North America

Shattil & Rozinski / Juvenile Swift fox (Vulpes velox) stalking prey on the shortgrass prairie of Southern Wyoming, Wyoming, USA

Shattil & Rozinski / Swift fox (Vulpes velox) running, backlit, Wyoming, USA

Nigel Bean / Black tailed prairie dogs at burrow entrance{Cynomys ludovicianus} Colorado, USA

David Kjaer / Black tailed prairie dogs, Arizona, USA

Thomas Lazar / Black tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) alert female, Custer State Park, South Dakota, USA

Donald M. Jones / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) group, South Dakota

Donald M. Jones / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) pair greeting, South Dakota

Donald M. Jones / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) pair greeting, South Dakota

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) on alert, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

Donald M. Jones / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) standing and barking, eastern Montana

Yva Momatiuk & John Eastcott / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) eating grass in summer, Devil's Tower National Park, Wyoming

Pete Oxford / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) looking for danger, Devil's Tower National Monument, Wyoming

Konrad Wothe / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) pair interacting, North America

Konrad Wothe / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) alert pair, North America

Shin Yoshino / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) pair touching noses for identification, Colorado

Jim Brandenburg / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) pair nuzzling to communicate, South Dakota

Jim Brandenburg / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) sitting at burrow entrance, South Dakota

Jim Brandenburg / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) barking while standing on its hind feet and raising the head back, a behavior known as jump-yip calling, Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

Jim Brandenburg / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) trio at burrow entrance, South Dakota

Jim Brandenburg / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) pair nuzzling to communicate, South Dakota

Jim Brandenburg / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) in burrow with American Bison (Bison bison) and Ponderosa Pines (Pinus ponderosa), Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

Jim Brandenburg / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) town with animals near burrows, South Dakota

Jim Brandenburg / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) barking while standing atop burrow, South Dakota

Jasper Doest / Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) feeding, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

Roland Seitre / Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni) standing upright on hind legs, Colorado, USA.

Joel Sartore / Photo Ark / Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni zuniensis) portrait, Liberty Wildlife. Captive.

Joel Sartore / Photo Ark / Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni zuniensis) reaching up to investigate food held in a person's hand, Liberty Wildlife. Captive.

Joel Sartore / Photo Ark / Male Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni zuniensis) looking up, portrait, Liberty Wildlife. Captive.

Joel Sartore / Photo Ark / Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni zuniensis) aged 5 years, portrait, Lapoint, Utah. Captive.

Joel Sartore / Photo Ark / Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni zuniensis) aged 5 years, head portrait, Lapoint, Utah. Captive.

Joel Sartore / Photo Ark / Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni zuniensis) aged 5 years, sitting upright on hind legs, portrait, Lapoint, Utah. Captive.

Joel Sartore / Photo Ark / Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni zuniensis) aged 5 years, walking, portrait, Lapoint, Utah. Captive.

Joel Sartore / Photo Ark / Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni zuniensis) aged 5 years, portrait, Lapoint, Utah. Captive.

Joel Sartore / Photo Ark / Female White-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus) aged 6 years, portrait, Lapoint, Utah. Captive.

Joel Sartore / Photo Ark / Female White-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus) aged 6 years, with mouth open, portrait, Lapoint, Utah. Captive.

Joel Sartore / Photo Ark / Female White-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus) aged 6 years, looking up, portrait, Lapoint, Utah. Captive.

Joel Sartore / Photo Ark / Female White-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus) aged 6 years, portrait, Lapoint, Utah. Captive.

Charlie Summers / White-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys leucurus), with a mouthful of grass, going down into its burrow, North Park, Colorado, USA.

Charlie Summers / Seven young Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) gathered on a prairie dog mound, Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, Colorado, USA.

Charlie Summers / Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) on burrow mound with a mouthful of grass, Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, Colorado, USA.

Charlie Summers / Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) escaping Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Colorado, USA. February

Charlie Summers / Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) with a mouthful of grass that it is about to take down into its burrow. Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Commerce City, Colorado, USA. December

Charlie Summers / Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) with a mouthful of grass that it is about to take down into its burrow. Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Commerce City, Colorado, USA. December