2206_1753 Jump-yip!
A Black-tailed Prairie Dog lets out a high pitched squeal while jumping up on its hind legs - the well known "jump-yip". It has been interpreted as a warning cry and an all clear signal, but I would hesitate to attach definitive meaning to the move. Context may play a part.
The main drive-through road in Grasslands bisects a number of dogtowns - prairie dogs on both sides. Sometimes I will see and/or hear a jump-yip before I've rolled to a stop. Other times, it happens after I've been sitting a while, and if I'm lucky the critter in my viewfinder is the one doing it. That's how I get my shots: luck. The key to meaning seems to be in the response from other prairie dogs. Some studies support the idea that if the yipping one receives a high number of yips in return, then many colony members - some out of visual range - are still above ground. This suggests safety: no predators lurking nearby.
On the other hand, if there is no response, a coyote or badger may be on the prowl, and there is some evidence that the yipping prairie dog is more likely to retreat underground in this case.
Whatever these communal ground squirrels may be communicating may well defy simplistic interpretations. There is more going on than meets the eye. For example, if this one photo were the only record of jump-yip behaviour, we might assume it's a Jerry Lee Lewis imitation: goodness, gracious, great balls of fire! I trust the wildlife biologists have already conducted a study to rule out air piano.
Meanwhile, conjecture aside, I'm happy just to observe and report. Wildlife behaviour, however we may interpret it, never ceases to interest and even amaze me. I trust most of my colleagues with long lenses feel the same.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2022 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
2206_1753 Jump-yip!
A Black-tailed Prairie Dog lets out a high pitched squeal while jumping up on its hind legs - the well known "jump-yip". It has been interpreted as a warning cry and an all clear signal, but I would hesitate to attach definitive meaning to the move. Context may play a part.
The main drive-through road in Grasslands bisects a number of dogtowns - prairie dogs on both sides. Sometimes I will see and/or hear a jump-yip before I've rolled to a stop. Other times, it happens after I've been sitting a while, and if I'm lucky the critter in my viewfinder is the one doing it. That's how I get my shots: luck. The key to meaning seems to be in the response from other prairie dogs. Some studies support the idea that if the yipping one receives a high number of yips in return, then many colony members - some out of visual range - are still above ground. This suggests safety: no predators lurking nearby.
On the other hand, if there is no response, a coyote or badger may be on the prowl, and there is some evidence that the yipping prairie dog is more likely to retreat underground in this case.
Whatever these communal ground squirrels may be communicating may well defy simplistic interpretations. There is more going on than meets the eye. For example, if this one photo were the only record of jump-yip behaviour, we might assume it's a Jerry Lee Lewis imitation: goodness, gracious, great balls of fire! I trust the wildlife biologists have already conducted a study to rule out air piano.
Meanwhile, conjecture aside, I'm happy just to observe and report. Wildlife behaviour, however we may interpret it, never ceases to interest and even amaze me. I trust most of my colleagues with long lenses feel the same.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2022 James R. Page - all rights reserved.