Knowles notes that the most black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies were located in areas with intensive livestock grazing, livestock watering sites, and where human activity had disturbed the topsoil. Cattle (Bos taurus) occurred more often on quarter sections with prairie dog colonies than on quarter sections without prairie dog colonies. This association, however, had more to do with the water sources located in these quarter sections, rather than the presence of prairie dog colonies. Prairie dogs grazed equally on grasses and forbs when ungulates were present, whereas grasses were their primary forage on areas without ungulate grazing. Prairie dog colonization appeared to follow intensive grazing and soil disturbance at livestock watering sites and homesteads.
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