Common

Prairie

Animals

Burrowing Owls:

These small owls live in abandoned prairie dog holes on the prairie . Feeding on insects and small mammals owls help the prairie maintain the insect and rodent populations.

Prairie Dogs:

These little rodents are very social and live in complex homes underground. They are one of the most important animals on the prairie. They have the ability to burrow through the tough prairie soil and make shelters for all who are interested! This includes insects, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals alike.

Rattlesnake:

With a bad reputation, the rattlesnake is not often treated well when it travels off the prairie. It is the only venomous snake on the prairie, and uses its venom to kill its prey. Rattlesnakes are scared by humans. The snakes try to avoid humans as best as they can by slithering to their holes when they get the chance.

Desert Cottontail Rabbit:

The cottontail is everywhere on the prairie and has even made it to the suburban neighborhoods. During the day cottontails will rest a lot because of the heat, but will forage for different plants for food. Plants are often hard to digest, so the cottontail has adapted to eating its own scat (poop) to get all the nutrients that it can from the food that it eats.

Bullsnake:

Because of its coexistence with the rattlesnake, the bullsnake has developed ways to resemble the rattlesnake and scare away anything that tries to hurt it. This is why the markings one both snakes are similar to eachother and can be hard to distiguish between the two. One way to tell the difference is that the head of the bullsnake is more narrow, while the head of the rattlesnake is more triangular. The bullsnake isn't venomous, and strangles their prey by constriction.

Meadowlark:

Often recognized as the song of the prairie, the meadowlark has a distinctive song. Follow this link to hear the meadowlark.

Red-tailed Hawk:

This hawk is a raptor or a bird of prey. A raptor is a bird who eats meat and kills its prey with its talons. The red-tailed hawk has very good eyesight and can see a jackrabbit in a bush two miles way.