Black-tailed prairie dogs once played a vital role in the vast grasslands ecosystem of the Great Plains of North America. The burrows of these little digging rodents aerated and watered the deep soil and provided a home to many other animals as well. Prairie dog feeding habits controlled invasive vegetation and opened the prairie to the plants preferred by buffalo and pronghorn antelope. The prairie dogs themselves were a food source for many other animals, among them hawks, rattlesnakes, badgers, coyotes, and black-footed ferrets.In more than one hundred beautiful and charming color photographs, and with accompanying text, Russell Graves shows prairie dogs and their neighbors in their daily lives, eating, playing, and building -- and keeping a constant lookout over their land. He tells the story of these highly gregarious rodents and gives a fascinating glimpse into their active, vocal society.