Prairie dogs are dubbed a keystone species for good reason because the burrows they dig are used by dozens of other animals, from insects and spiders to rattlesnakes, salamanders, owls and more.

Ph.D. zoologist Dorothy Hinshaw Patent uses her scientific training to write books about the natural world for young readers. Dorothy is the author of more than 100 books for children, her most recent being Pika Country: Climate Change at the Top of the World. Dorothy is the recipient of many awards, including the Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for Nonfiction, the New York State Reading Association Charlotte Award, and the Edward O. Wilson Biodiversity Technology Pioneer Award.  Dorothy lives in Kauai, Hawaii. To find out more about Dorothy, visit her website at www.DorothyHinshawPatent.com.