Those who have hunted prairie dogs know how effective the craters are, both as vantage points and as retreats for the animals. They are strictly diurnal and are most active in the morning and evening periods. The midday hours are usually spent sleeping below ground. In summer the animals store up reserves of fat to tide them over the winter months. In the northern part of Texas they begin hibernating in November.
Hibernation seems to be less complete in prairie dogs than in true ground squirrels.
Their food is chiefly plant materials, particularly low-growing weeds and grasses. In Trans-Pecos Texas, burrow grass and purple needle grass are especially favored foods. They are voracious eaters. This complex social structure is thought to contribute to increased genetic variability between both coteries and wards. One litter of four or five young is born in March or April.