![]() Usually upon first waking in the morning, prairie dogs will give a territorial call as a sort of roll-call to check if anyone else is awake - the same goes for the territorial call just before submerging for the night. Territorial calls can serve to communicate different messages, and are given contextually. Among white-tailed and Utah prairie dogs, territorial calls are sometimes accompanied by a throw-back of the head, so that it looks like the prairie dog is calling at the sky. For the black-tailed prairie dog and Mexican prairie dog (the black-tail group), the territorial call is the famous "jump-yip" call described above. For the white-tail group (the white-tailed, Utah, and Gunnison's species) the territorial call can be described as a laughing bark, a staccato call, or a raspy chatter. The most common of all prairie dog vocalizations, the territorial call is multi-purpose and variable. This display is not seen in the white-tail group (white-tailed, Utah, and Gunnison's prairie dogs), and the reasons for this may vary there may be a correlation between the higher sociality and coloniality seen in black-tailed prairie dogs and the use of this display to communicate with a more dense population. Upon witnessing a jump-yip, coterie members will immediately go into alert mode, and will often even join in a chorus of jump-yips, in which they are either responding to the original call or to the threat which elicited the original call. When two prairie dogs break from a territorial dispute. ![]() ![]() Immediately after a perceived predator or danger has passed or disappeared from view (called the "all-clear").Upon perceiving and running away from a snake (accompanied by foot-thumping) (see THE PREY ANIMAL).When a prairie dog is startled either by a noise or sudden movement nearby.Some common situations which may elicit a jump-yip include: The jump-yip may communicate alertness, territorial defense, or what we call an “all-clear” signal, and is used in a variety of contexts. The jump-yip appears to be a multi-purpose communication display, but is specifically associated with some type of threat or disturbance, though it is not to be confused with an anti-predator/alarm call which is given when a predator is present and danger is imminent. As the name infers, the display is both visual and auditory, in which a prairie dog jumps upward off its front feet, stretches vertically, and lets out a distinct two-toned bark described as an "AH-aah" or "EE-eee". This is a unique display performed by BTPDs and, although less studied, in Mexican prairie dogs as well. We would be remiss not to pay special brief attention to the famous "jump-yip" call of the black-tailed prairie dog (BTPD). Communication is key to efficient colonial living, promoting unity while maintaining social parameters. Territorial calls reinforce boundaries a squeak may communicate displeasure, or may be a mother's signal for her offspring to follow her and alarm calls expose threats to the unawares. As colonial animals, prairie dogs use their strong voices to communicate to clan or coterie members. Prairie dogs have a wide repertoire of vocalizations, and ongoing research has sought to understand the nuances of every sound these little rodents make during the course of their day – from territorial calls to barely-audible chirps between mothers and babies, to mating calls and alarm calls.
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