The first light of day spreads sunshine and warmth across the dry prairie. A tiny tan head emerges from a dugout in the ground, scanning the area for predators. He is the sentinel of his prairie dog family, his job is to keep a look out for predators and alert everyone when danger is present.

Seeing no immediate signs of danger, he climbs out of the burrow allowing the rest the coterie to come outside. He keeps watch as the others forage for food, interact with each other, and maintain the existing burrows. This is the time of day when prairie dogs are most active; by mid-afternoon, if the weather is warm enough, they will spend the time sleeping and soaking up the sunshine. If the weather turns cold or rainy, they will retreat to their burrows to keep warm.

The life of a prairie dog is a rather short and unadventurous one, as their typical lifespan is only between five and seven years of age. The prairie dog doesn't pose a threat to any other species, despite what farmers used to think back in the early 1900's. It was thought back then that prairie dogs were in competition for the same grasses and vegetation that farmers let their cattle graze on. However, scientists have recently discovered that the prairie dogs typically dine in areas already overgrazed by livestock. In fact, some scientists hypothesize that the prairie dogs are contributing to the growth of the grasses by fertilizing the ground. Unfortunately, these discoveries have come a little late for most of the prairie dog population. Since the arrival of European settlers in the 1800's, the prairie dog population has dropped by 98%.

Surprisingly, despite the drop in population, only two species of prairie dog, the Mexican prairie dog, and the Utah prairie dog, are actually recognized as endangered species. Because of this apparent oversight, several conservation groups are currently lobbying the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to recognize the Black-Tailed prairie dogs as endangered as well. Since the other species of prairie dogs are not yet recognized as endangered species, they can still be hunted and kept as pets for wealthy individuals.

Currently, the remaining prairie dog populations are scattered throughout several national parks, specifically: Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, Devil's Tower National Park in Wyoming, Wichita Mountains Wildlife Reserve. Also, the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico maintains a municipal park with a resident colony of Gunnison's Prairie Dogs. Although the dwindling prairie dog population seems to have stabilized, there are still external factors that could potentially wipe out this species. Prairie dogs are near the bottom of the food chain and are hunted by hawks, owls, eagles, ravens, bobcats, falcons, coyotes, badgers, snakes, and ferrets (though since the Black Footed Ferret is highly endangered, they pose less of a threat). In addition, the prairie dog population is very susceptible to the bubonic plague, which they acquire from fleas infected with the bacteria. Many colonies of prairie dogs were wiped out in the 1800's when European settlers carried this disease to the United States. Nowadays, the chance of prairie dogs contracting the plague is very low, though it is still a threat. Scientists are currently trying to figure out how to stop the spread of this among prairie dogs.

For now though, the sentinel of this prairie dog family can rest easy knowing that there are efforts currently underway to help his species. They may be at the bottom of the food chain in evolutionary terms, but they are a top priority for many scientists.