Prairie Dog: We Have A Lot To Say
Prairie dogs have lost 95% of their habitat. These are tough little fellows who live in close-knit communities. They work together to share food and protect their towns (towns are what prairie dog communities are called). They are essential for our prairies as their tunnels aerate the soil. They are a food source for many predators and their dung is high in nitrogen and improves soil quality. Snakes and burrowing owls rely on their tunnels and frequently move into them. Prairie dogs have more complex vocalizations than even chimps and dolphins!
When I speak to wild animals, I ask to speak to a member of the collective as well as an individual. The collective representative lives in heaven but the individual is living here on our earth. I do this because, many times, they each have very different messages.
Collective Representative:
Hello! What a pleasure to actually speak with a human being! I am so happy to be here and to be heard for all of my species!
(I wish you could see this little creature scampering all over my office. Prairie Dog is so exuberant and cute!)
I could hear you thinking that, Lacey. Thank you! We actually feel people's vibrations towards us. We tend to get the extreme. Either people love us or we drive them out of their mind with worry. Ranchers do not welcome us for their horses step into our holes and it causes great damage to them. We understand their worry and fear but, as you wrote above and know already, we have lost so very much of our habitat. When we finally find a place to live in peace, we tend to spread out greatly, taking over a large area.
Prairie Dog loves living out on the prairie. I know that is no surprise but our prairies are rapidly vanishing. People's efforts to allow us to live inside their cities are greatly appreciated. Those who understand our value are helping us to survive. Again, much appreciated from here and also down there on earth. We are little creatures who love to participate in life. We don't mind our own business very well! Instead, we love to watch everyone and everything around us! That is why we have developed our language to such an extent! We have a lot to say! We love our families and also our extended families. I feel man could learn a great deal watching us for we have learned the art of getting along together. We include everyone. No one is shunned from our communities and all prairie dogs are welcomed. We love because we understand we truly are all one. If man could learn from our example, I believe he would be much happier and longer-lived with a wonderful life to show for it.
Whew! What a message! I honored Prairie Dog for having come today and thanked them profusely for their great wisdom.
Individual:
Hi, Lacey! What fun to be called here today. I have come straight to you from the colony at Caprock Canyons in Texas. I know that is making your heart smile right now! We have a large colony here. There are so many families, you would be amazed!
We have lived long here and are honored. We are not far from the campgrounds and we experience visitors on a regular basis. We really enjoy that. Much talk in our dens is about you people! Thank you for honoring us so.
We are able to live in a prairie here. The buffalo roam freely. We are in no danger except by our regular predators and that's exactly how we like it. We are living a beautiful life here. One that not all our species has the opportunity to do.
I have a large family myself. I am actually elderly although I know you cannot tell for we have so much energy! I have a big legacy and am happy to share it with my family.
As I was thanking Prairie Dog and honoring him, he thanked me for having always loved his species. Animals read my mind as I read theirs. He reminded me of a Prairie Dog Town in Odessa, Texas, that I used to visit often. (I am from West Texas.) I even named a specific prairie dog there after my Grandaddy. He told me that Alvin was aware of my fondness for him and that the entire species was happy that I had found such enjoyment in them. He promised me we would make memories together when I come camping at Caprock Canyons! He read my mind again as we were planning a trip to this State Park in the fall.
Sidenote: My husband and I did make it to camp at Caprock Canyons. We were stunned by the roaming bison that comprise most of our Texas State Buffalo Herd. They roam freely all over the park. We also fell in love with the Prairie Dog Colony there, right on the edge of our campground. Every time we left our site to hike, they chattered at us! This was a huge colony, probably about a half-mile long and a quarter-mile wide. Their homes go all the way to the lip of the big canyons that make an immediate drop of well over 100’. It was a gorgeous sight to see – both the canyons and the wildlife!
This is an ongoing series on my blog. I speak with domesticated animals on a very regular basis. Each time I speak with a wild animal, I am humbled, truly humbled, by their dignity and grace. We are so blessed to share this planet with them. Please help me to help them to spread their messages. Please share this post!
Should you be interested, I have spoken with many wild animals and insects. A comprehensive index with links to individual blog posts is here.
