Hoogland, John L. 1983. Nepotism and Alarm Calling in the Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus). Animal Behavior 31. pp 472-479.

Abstract

At a colony containing 200 individuals of known ages and genetic relationship, I investigated alarm calling by black-tailed prairie dogs (Rodentia: Sciuridae: Cynomys ludovicianus) during experiments with a stuffed specimen of a natural predator, the badger (Taxidea taxus). As in other species of burrowing squirrels, female alarm calls are evidently nepotistic (i.e. function to warn genetic relatives). Male alarm calls are also nepotistic, and individual males vary their rate of alarm calling in response to the presence or absence of close genetic relatives in the home territory. Beneficiaries of alarm calls in other species of squirrels usually include adult or juvenile offspring, but beneficiaries of black-tailed prairie dog alarm calls frequently include only non-descendant kin.