Instead, with their stream-lined bodies, they prowl through and capture the prairie dogs in the prairie dogs' burrows. Other predators, like coyotes, bobcats, and foxes, rely on their ability to stalk prairie dogs feeding. They will also sit and wait at burrow entrances for unsuspecting prairie dogs to come out. Hawks and eagles regularly soar over or perch by towns to search for prairie dogs. Prairie snakes and bull snakes may take some young.
Prairie dogs are susceptible to several diseases.
The most being the plague. The plague is devastating in prairie dogs and other rodents. This leads to rapid decline and even disappearance of entire colonies. Other mortality factors that affect prairie dogs include accidents, starvation, weather, parasites, and other diseases. Human activities have caused the greatest loss.