What land mammal is thought to have the most sophisticated animal language?

Prairie dogs have complex calls that signal the type, size, and speed of an approaching predator.

Prairie dogs have a high-pitched, bark-like call. Recent studies suggest that prairie dogs possess the most sophisticated of all natural animal languages. They apparently issue different sounds identifying various predators, which include hawks, owls, eagles, ravens, coyotes, badgers, ferrets and snakes. Prairie dogs can run up to 35 miles per hour for short distances. The prairie dog has only one defense that works -- raising the alarm and disappearing quickly.

Prairie dogs are the most social members of the squirrel family and are closely related to ground squirrels, chipmunks and marmots. There are five species of prairie dogs.

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51 Comments

billyboy915

Bruce Means, I'd like to take this opportunity to politely ask you to kindly take your anti-American sentiments and shove them up your posterior. How's that for sophisticated, proper language from an American?

David Holmes

Very interesting, I learned something new. The continual moaning about the correct use of English or otherwise especially when the meaning is perfectly clear is becoming a serious irritation. This is a quiz game not an English tutorial. The usage of the language varies from place to place country to country. A dictionary of usage for some countries is available.

Sandra Caulfield

In this part of the country Prairie Dog hunts are organized and some shoot prairie dogs for sport. I do not understand people who think killing animals just for sport is fun.

billyboy915

bradfieldscottv, So let me get this straight. Someone insults the entire population of my country by making sweepingly negative generalizations, I react by calling him out, and THAT means I have an overinflated ego? When you learn how to think logically, I'll give your suggestion some thought, but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

Trevor Hiscock

Wyla Reedy, Meerkats also use the same elaborate system of different alarm calls for different predators.Highly intelligent.

Coral Harvey

L Lh Adams, not so nice. They have a right to live too.

Wyla Reedy

They remind me of meercats.

Susan Lake-Harris

I've always thought prairie dogs were interesting critters and it's nice to learn something more about them (from an Aussie who's seen her fair share of interesting critters right in her own country).

stellaclaude

Watched many BBC animal specials.

fdeisner

Wouldn't that be the human-animal although it wasn't a choice. Maybe the question should have been "Of the choices below" or "Other than humans" what land mammal is thought to have the most sophisticated animal language? 🤣

Cheryl McMeekin

Had no idea, but great info..

docluci

I watched these cute creatures signaling to one another and the answer was plain to see to me.

earlepg

Another one covered by tv documentaries.

xhotsalsa

A few years ago I was driving on a highway in Colorado and on my left I noticed a large prairie dog colony, The prairie dogs had all at once darted into their holes. Just a short while ahead I saw a line of twelve or more antelope. The antelope all charged the prairie dogs all at the same time! The prairie dogs sounded an alarm just seconds in time!

Char

Missed it had no clue they could do that. Got up close and personal with one years ago. He was so cute but he never barked when my friends came walking up. Just ran away fast ..with me he wanted to play