Prairie dogs are not really dogs. They are small, furry animals in the squirrel family. They got their name because the sound they make is a little like a dog’s bark.

Prairie dogs live in grasslands, including parts of West Texas. They dig tunnels and rooms under the ground. Many prairie dog families live close together, and their big group of tunnels is called a town.

Prairie dogs spend much of the day eating grass and other plants. While most of the group eats, a few prairie dogs stand up on their back legs and look around. If one of them sees a hawk or a coyote, it barks loudly. Then all the prairie dogs dive into their holes.

When two prairie dogs from the same family meet, they touch their mouths together. It looks a little like a kiss.