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Prairie dogs eat mostly grasses and other plants; their menu shifts with the season, local plant availability, and how mature the plants are. Black-tailed prairie dogs—the best-documented Great Plains example—are primarily herbivorous, though they sometimes eat insects. The clearest short answer is that they are flexible plant eaters, not animals with one fixed menu.
What do prairie dogs eat?
Prairie dogs eat plant matter, especially grasses and other leafy vegetation. For black-tailed prairie dogs, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute summarizes grasses and leafy vegetation as 98 percent of the diet, with occasional grasshoppers, cutworms, bugs, and beetles. That figure is the Smithsonian’s summary for this species; it should not be treated as a measured percentage for every prairie dog species, location, or season.
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So, “prairie dogs eat grass” is broadly right but incomplete. Grass is important, yet prairie dogs also take other plants and change what they eat as conditions change. Insects are an occasional part of the diet, not evidence that animal matter is a major food source.
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Are prairie dogs herbivores?
Yes. Black-tailed prairie dogs are primarily herbivorous: plants provide most of their food, while insects are eaten occasionally. Calling them herbivores captures the main pattern without implying that every bite is plant material.
The National Park Service’s overview of prairie dogs likewise describes them as plant eaters that sometimes eat insects. It also notes that they clip grass and eat forbs. The occasional insect does not change the basic characterization of their diet; the sources describe plants as the main food.
Species scope matters. The most detailed evidence in the sources here concerns the black-tailed prairie dog, Cynomys ludovicianus. Prairie dogs are not a single species, and this evidence does not establish an identical menu or identical food proportions for every species. Use the black-tailed prairie dog’s Great Plains diet as a well-documented example, not as a universal species-by-species prescription.
What do prairie dogs eat in spring and summer?
In spring and summer, grasses and other graminoids are especially prominent in black-tailed prairie dog diets. Which species they select depends on location and plant condition, but named examples from the U.S. Forest Service review include western wheatgrass, buffalo grass, blue grama, and sedges.
The U.S. Forest Service’s black-tailed prairie dog synthesis describes graminoids as preferred over forbs in the studies it reviews, and says graminoids can account for at least 75 percent of the diet, especially in summer. This is a synthesis of cited studies, not a universal percentage for every colony. It complements, rather than replaces, the Smithsonian’s broader 98-percent summary of grasses and leafy vegetation: the sources use different descriptions and scopes, and neither figure should be applied indiscriminately to all prairie dogs at all times.
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Forbs also matter, even where grasses are preferred. In Oklahoma, the Oklahoma State University Extension account describes summer diets as including grasses and forbs. The National Park Service also identifies forbs as food. A prairie dog diet is therefore better understood as a plant mix than as grass alone.
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Growth stage can influence that mix. COSEWIC reports that South Dakota prairie dogs consumed young, succulent fennel-leaved desert-parsley in May but avoided it later, when it had matured. The assessment also says studies in northern mixed-grass prairie generally observe preferences for grasses over forbs and young plants over mature plants. These findings help explain why a seasonal food list is not just a list of species: palatability can change as plants develop.
What do prairie dogs eat in fall and winter?
As the growing season changes and preferred forage becomes less available, black-tailed prairie dogs may take different plants and plant parts. The Forest Service review names scarlet globemallow and Russian-thistle among late-summer and fall foods; reported winter foods include plains prickly pear, Russian-thistle, and underground roots.
Oklahoma State University Extension gives a similar broad seasonal contrast: grasses and forbs are preferred in summer, while prickly pear, thistle, and plant roots are among winter foods. These examples show that winter feeding is not simply a continuation of peak-summer grazing. It can include succulents and below-ground plant parts as well as other available vegetation.
These are reported foods, not a complete winter menu or a guarantee that every colony eats each one. Local plants, weather, and site conditions affect what is available. The sources support a seasonal pattern, but they do not provide one universal winter diet that can be assigned to every prairie dog population.
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Why does a prairie dog’s diet change by place and colony?
Prairie dogs forage within the vegetation that is locally available, and the plant mix differs among regions and colonies. COSEWIC gives a useful example: western wheatgrass is frequently consumed by black-tailed prairie dogs in Montana and South Dakota but is generally avoided in Colorado. A food list from one region can therefore mislead readers who assume the same preferences apply everywhere.
Plant abundance, colony location, and season interact. A species of grass may be common at one site and scarce at another; a forb may be available only during a short growth stage; and drought or grazing can stress the available forage. The Forest Service describes black-tailed prairie dogs as selective opportunists that can change their diets quickly when forage is stressed by grazing, drought, or herbicides. “Opportunistic” does not mean they eat anything indiscriminately: they select among plants and plant stages, but those choices respond to circumstances.
Colony structure and site productivity also shape the vegetation prairie dogs encounter. Oklahoma State University Extension describes a typical pattern in which grasses occur around colony edges, while forbs and dwarf shrubs are found more toward the center. This is a described pattern, not a rule for every colony. The extension source also cautions that site productivity affects forage outcomes, so vegetation patterns and resulting diets should not be assumed to look identical across sites.
How does grazing affect prairie vegetation?
Prairie dogs clip vegetation while feeding. Shorter plants can improve visibility, helping the animals detect predators, while grazing can also change which plants grow within a colony. The National Park Service notes that clipping can open space for forbs and weeds, alongside its connection to predator visibility.
That means feeding has effects beyond the food an individual prairie dog consumes. Grazing changes vegetation height and can influence which plants have room to grow. The pattern should not be oversimplified as “prairie dogs always create the same grass-free center” or as one identical ecological outcome everywhere: the sources describe effects and a typical colony pattern, while local conditions influence the result.
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For the same reason, observations of a plant community can help explain a colony’s food options but do not by themselves establish a fixed menu. A colony’s vegetation reflects the site and its conditions, and the animals’ choices reflect what is available and at what stage it is growing. Diet and habitat are connected, but neither can be reduced to one universal recipe.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the diet evidence does—and does not—show
The clearest conclusions apply to black-tailed prairie dogs. The Smithsonian figure is a concise summary of grasses and leafy vegetation in that species’ diet, while the Forest Service review and COSEWIC assessment provide detail about plant categories, season, plant maturity, and geography. Taken together, these sources establish a strong general picture—mostly plants, with a changing mix—but not a precise menu for each colony or every prairie dog species.
Even within black-tailed prairie dogs, avoid turning a study finding into a universal rule. “At least 75 percent” for graminoids is presented in the Forest Service synthesis as a finding from reviewed research, especially for summer; the 98-percent figure is the Smithsonian’s summary of grasses and leafy vegetation. Neither says that every individual eats the same proportions year-round. Likewise, the South Dakota example of young fennel-leaved desert-parsley illustrates how maturity can matter, not that all colonies select that plant.
The COSEWIC assessment also says it is unknown whether Canadian black-tailed prairie dog preferences differ greatly from, or align with, those farther south. That uncertainty is a useful reminder that a species-level label does not erase regional differences. When a source or observation identifies a particular state, season, or colony, keep that context attached to the claim.
Does this describe what to feed a pet prairie dog?
No. A description of wild black-tailed prairie dog foods is not a complete captive-care diet plan. The Smithsonian page discusses zoo feeding separately from its summary of the species’ diet; wild-food observations should not be converted into instructions to feed captive animals or wild prairie dogs.
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If you care for a prairie dog, use guidance from a veterinarian experienced with the species and applicable wildlife or animal-care authorities. A wild animal’s seasonal foraging choices do not, by themselves, establish appropriate portions, nutritional balance, or safe foods in captivity. Likewise, feeding a wild colony is not justified by knowing what it naturally eats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all prairie dog species eat the same foods?
The detailed sources here focus mainly on black-tailed prairie dogs, so they do not establish a shared menu for every species. Even within black-tailed prairie dogs, preferences vary by region; COSEWIC says it is not known whether Canadian populations’ preferences differ greatly from or align with populations farther south.
Why might prairie dogs avoid a plant they eat elsewhere?
Availability and preference both matter. For example, the COSEWIC assessment reports western wheatgrass is frequently consumed in Montana and South Dakota but generally avoided in Colorado, showing that a food’s role can differ across regions.
Can I use wild prairie dog food lists to plan a captive diet?
No. Wild diet summaries do not specify captive portions, nutritional balance, or safe feeding practices. Ask a veterinarian experienced with prairie dogs rather than translating seasonal field observations into a care plan.
Does the 98 percent figure mean prairie dogs eat only plants?
No. The Smithsonian’s summary says grasses and leafy vegetation make up 98 percent of the black-tailed prairie dog diet and also notes occasional insects. The figure is a species summary, not a claim that every individual’s diet is identical.
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