If you drive through a grassland, it may seem quiet at first – until you come across a colony of prairie dogs.
“As soon as you do, the life of the prairie is there,” said Ana Davidson, a research scientist with the Colorado Natural Heritage Program based at Colorado State University.
Prairie dogs dig complex underground burrows to hide from predators, but many more creatures, including insects and owls, adopt these chambers for shelter in an otherwise exposed landscape. Prairie dogs also serve as the main food source for endangered black-footed ferrets.
North American grasslands were once full of biodiversity, teeming with bison, pronghorn and deer. They were likened to the Serengeti of the continent. See more: Article