The prairie dog lives in the western part of North America, from Canada to Mexico. It is not actually a dog, but is a rodent in the ground-squirrel family. The dog part of its name comes from its shrill warning bark that sounds like a dog's bark. It is a plump little animal, about a foot long with coarse grayish-brown fur. It has teeth like a beaver's to help it gather grass, its chief food.
Early pioneers found millions of prairie dogs in the western states. But their population has been greatly reduced since they were considered a serious pest. Farmers found much damage to their alfalfa and grain crops since prairie dogs ate not only the plants but the roots as well. Early cattlemen did not like prairie dogs because of their burrows. A running horse or cow that stepped into an open burrow often broke a leg. But their burrows were a great benefit, allowing moisture to penetrate the soil. This prevented floods and water runoff that would otherwise wash topsoil away. It was all part of God's design in providing balance in the things of creation.
Prairie dogs are sociable animals and live in colonies. They dig their homes by tunneling straight down for 12 feet or more. At the bottom they dig out several rooms—a sleeping room, a storage room and other rooms. An emergency exit is always provided, with another tunnel slanting upward to within a few inches of the surface. This is their escape route. If an enemy gets into their home, they scamper up this tunnel and quickly dig through the remaining soil and get away.
The entrance to each burrow is topped with a mound of dirt to keep water out. Prairie dogs love to sit upright on these mounds, yipping back and forth to their neighbors. At times they play together and also like to be groomed by one another. When outside of the burrow, one is always the "watchdog," and when he sees anything alarming he gives several sharp barks. All of the others immediately dash to their burrows and disappear—all except the male of each family. He sits with his head out so he can see what's going on and barks continuously. When the whole colony is barking like this, it makes quite a racket.
In the northern prairies, these animals hibernate after fattening up during the fall, but in the south they remain active year round. Pups are born in the spring, and in about a month are the size of chipmunks and are full-grown by the end of summer.
The burrows and tunnels of prairie dogs are strongholds (safe places) for them. There is a better stronghold provided by God for those who accept His Son as their Savior. The Bible tells us "the Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knoweth them that trust in Him" (Nah. 1:77The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. (Nahum 1:7)). Is He your stronghold?