Prairie dog in prairie species such as the black-footed ferret, swift fox, golden eagle, red tailed hawk, American badger, coyote and ferruginous hawk. Other species, such as the golden-mantled ground squirrel, mountain plover, and the burrowing owl, also rely on prairie dog burrows for nesting areas. Even grazing species, such as plains bison, pronghorn, and mule deer have shown a proclivity for grazing on the same land used by prairie dogs. Nevertheless, prairie dogs are often identified as pests and exterminated from agricultural properties because they are capable of damaging crops, as they clear the immediate area around their burrows of most
Gunnison's prairie dog able to come out above ground; they must learn how to separate themselves from their mothers and survive on their own. As soon as the mother is done caring her young, she relocates herself to another burrow, leaving her now-independent young behind. Not too long after, they scatter to other vacant burrows. A high percentage of female Gunnison's prairie dogs settle close to their birth territories for their entire lifetimes, whereas a significantly low percentage of the males stay close to their birth territories for longer than one year. The life span of a Gunnison's prairie dog is generally three