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Can Prairie Dogs Talk? (Original Post) L. Coyote May 2017 OP
Yep htuttle May 2017 #1
Actually, it's been partially decoded Warpy May 2017 #2
"whether a human is carrying something" FiveGoodMen May 2017 #5
I read the article about 25 years ago in some journal or other Warpy May 2017 #6
What they have to say is CanonRay May 2017 #3
Yes, but they mainly talk about the prairie jberryhill May 2017 #4
No worse than my mom talking about the weather. ret5hd May 2017 #8
So glad to read this article. Thank you. n/t Judi Lynn May 2017 #7

Warpy

(110,913 posts)
2. Actually, it's been partially decoded
Sun May 14, 2017, 03:17 PM
May 2017

There are different barks for humans vs other predators, sex, whether a human is carrying something, and variations have been surmised to contain things like color of clothing or fur.

They're an interesting species, intensely social and relying on sentinels to warn foraging dogs of approaching danger.

One of the neatest things I've seen out here is a whole group of them lined up at the edge of an off ramp, catching the early morning sun in March.

FiveGoodMen

(20,018 posts)
5. "whether a human is carrying something"
Mon May 15, 2017, 01:40 PM
May 2017

It implies that they know humans are a different kind of threat, that we use weapons, and that they've figured out that that is info worth conveying.

Is this just conjecture in someone's recent paper or is it well established?

Because it sounds like a really BIG insight into the intelligence of these animals.

Warpy

(110,913 posts)
6. I read the article about 25 years ago in some journal or other
Mon May 15, 2017, 02:32 PM
May 2017

and was surprised the language was that refined, but then they've had thousands of years of experience with human on the hunt. It would be appropriate and to them it could be the difference between "hunter" and "passer by." We don't know the whole dictionary, only that there is one, and we don't know grammar and syntax, or if they exist.

They do appear to be smart little buggers, though.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
4. Yes, but they mainly talk about the prairie
Mon May 15, 2017, 12:07 AM
May 2017

It's flat and has grass. Imagine how dull that conversation gets.
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