ABSTRACT
Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) excel in amicable conduct towards conspecific juveniles. For example, adults and yearlings improve the survivorship of their own and others' juveniles via antipredator calls, communal nursing, allogrooming, communal sleeping during cold weather, and reduced aggression. Curiously, prairie dogs also excel in their hostile conduct towards juveniles. Most notably, adults and yearlings commonly kill juveniles of kin and nonkin, and such infanticide accounts for the partial or total demise of 39% of all litters born.
