The survival rate is high for prairie dog pups because they mainly stay underground. The females usually spend their entire lives in their original coteries. The young males usually move away in late spring before first mating season. Leaving is very dangerous and many young prairie dogs die during the time. The young males will move to a neighboring coterie are even five miles to find new territory.
Females can live up to eight years.
Males rarely live more than five years. Predators - Even with their sentries and underground lifestyle, predation is still a major cause of mortality. Badgers are a threat because they can dig deep into prairie dog burrows. Weasels and black-footed ferrets do not have to dig out the prairie dog. Instead, with their stream-lined bodies, they prowl through and capture the prairie dogs in the prairie dogs' burrows.