Grady, Mark R. and Hoogland, John L. 1986. Why Do Male Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) Give a Mating Call? Animal Behavior 34. pp. 108-112.

Abstract

A colony of black-tailed prairie dogs (RodentiaL SciuridaeL Cynomys ludovicianus) is subdivided into harem-polygynous social groups called coteries. The resident male(s) of each coterie often gives a unique mating call before or after copulating. Data on mating calls were available for 367 copulations. Males of one-male coteries were significantly more likely to call than males of mutli-male coteries. In cases where a female copulated with more than one male, the first copulating male was significantly more likely to call than subsequent copulating males. A mating call given by the first copulating male did not deter the oestrous female from copulating with additional males. Coterie size varied inversely with calling. Surprisingly, females that copulated with a calling male were significantly less likely to wean a litter.