This reduction was achieved by increased cultivation of rangelands, organized control programs, and improved grassland management. In recent years, prairie dog populations in Kansas have been more or less stable and are being held at a low population levels. Small groups, generally composed of one adult male, three adult females, and six offspring display territorial behavior toward adjacent groups in the town. A density of 35 burrows per acre is common al-though up to 100 burrows per acre have been reported. The majority of burrow systems have one entrance, although some burrows have two or three entrances.
Prairie dogs are active only during the daytime.
Prairie dogs usually have one litter of three to eight young per year born from March to April following a gestation period of 28 to 34 days. Dispersal usually occurs in late spring. Prairie dogs can increase by one-third of their population per year. The fact that these animals disperse and are prolific are two reasons for the continuing need for control. If control efforts were to be stopped, prairie dogs would continue to in-crease to a point where control efforts would cost a great deal of money and the rate of toxicant use would increase greatly.