What Is a Group of Prairie Dogs Called?
A social rodent whose underground neighborhoods have earned their own name.
A group of prairie dogs is called a coterie for the smaller family unit, while a full colony of coteries is known as a town, some of which have historically spanned hundreds of square miles.
What Is a Group of Prairie Dogs Called?
Prairie dog societies have a two-tier structure reflected in their vocabulary. A coterie is the basic social unit, typically one or a few adult males, several adult females, and their young, sharing a network of burrows and actively defending it from outsiders. A town is the much larger scale term for an entire colony made up of many coteries living side by side.
Where Did the Name Come From?
“Coterie” comes from French, originally describing a close-knit social circle or clique, an apt fit for prairie dogs’ tight-knit family groups that recognize and greet each other with a distinctive “kiss.” “Town” reflects the sheer scale and organization of a full prairie dog colony, which can resemble a small settlement with distinct neighborhoods, one of the largest ever recorded in Texas was estimated to cover thousands of square miles and house tens of millions of individuals.
Prairie Dog Facts
- Complex communication: prairie dogs have one of the most sophisticated known alarm-call systems among mammals, with different calls that can describe a predator’s species, size, and even color.
- Greeting kiss: members of the same coterie identify each other with a nose-to-nose “kiss” used to confirm family membership.
- Keystone species: prairie dog burrowing aerates soil and their tunnels provide shelter for numerous other prairie species, making them an important ecological keystone species.
- Historic mega-colony: a famous 1900s Texas prairie dog town was estimated to cover around 25,000 square miles, one of the largest animal colonies ever documented.
Example Sentences
- A coterie of prairie dogs popped up from their burrows to sound the alarm.
- The entire hillside was part of a sprawling town of prairie dogs.
🧠 Test Your Prairie Dog Knowledge
Three quick questions. See what stuck.
1. What is the basic family-level social unit of prairie dogs called?
2. What can prairie dog alarm calls communicate?
3. How do prairie dogs confirm coterie membership?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a group of prairie dogs called?
A coterie for the family-level group, with a larger colony of coteries called a town.
What’s the difference between a coterie and a town?
A coterie is the basic family unit sharing a burrow network; a town is the much larger colony made up of many coteries.
How complex are prairie dog alarm calls?
Prairie dogs have one of the most sophisticated known alarm-call systems among mammals, able to describe a predator’s species, size, and color.
How big can a prairie dog town get?
A famous early-1900s Texas prairie dog town was estimated to cover around 25,000 square miles, one of the largest animal colonies ever documented.
A Society With Its Own Vocabulary
A coterie of prairie dogs, multiplied many times over into a sprawling town, is one of the most socially organized rodent societies on the continent.