Snake Herders: novel anti-predator behavior by black-tailed prairie dogs in response to prairie rattlesnakes

Abstract

We describe a case of a unique antipredator behavior sequence in response to rattlesnakes observed in a population of black-tailed prairie dogs in Fort Collins, Colorado. An analysis of 5 independent opportunistic video recordings of 6 identifiable individuals revealed individuals across multiple social groups within the population engaged in novel behavioral responses to prairie rattlesnakes. Using Markov-chain analysis we found that prairie dogs engaged in non-random behavioral transitions and that specific pairs of behaviors were contributing to this pattern. We also observed that prairie dogs in this population engaged in novel responses to prairie rattlesnakes, including escorting behavior, where a prairie dog would walk alongside the snake.