This podcast explores the information that is encoded within prairie dog alarm calls. In this podcast, we discuss a study conducted by researcher Dr. Slobodchikoff where he investigated how prairie dogs can distinguish between shirt colors when presented with various human “predators.” He found that these animals are able to distinguish between colors through their alarm calls, specifically between blue, yellow, and green. The results showed that there were no significant differences in alarm calls between yellow and green. This showed researchers that while prairie dogs can distinguish color, they do not have the capability to distinguish color as well as most humans can.
Further Reading
Dr. Slobodchikoff ‘s Prairie Dog Video
Prairie Dog Alarm Calls Encode Labels About Predator Colors (Animal Cognition)