I saw this guy on my walk today, just a few blocks from my place.
In Boulder, there are MANY prairie dogs and they live in "towns" spread out across, often, many acres. They burrow and tunnel and build elaborate living quarters. They are also big talkers and often make a series of screeches and hollers as you pass by.
They are heavily protected by animal activists so they kind of get to do what they like. They aren't hurting a soul and are quite cute to look at when you are walking or running our Creek Path system.