"The grasshoppers sang long, bandy-legged songs and leapt away when she moved closer for a better look. She watched battalions of dragonflies soar past, their wings glistening in the bright October morning in sunlight. Absent-mindedly, Addie dug her fingers down into the sod, the dense mat of dead grass and roots and black earth. Aphids, ants, and grubs burrowed frantically out of reach." -from Laurie Lawlor's Addie Across the Prairie.

When we visit a prairie we see birds and mammals, and insects.

Many species of birds use grassland habitats as their home. They use the prairie as a place to hunt for food, to hide their nests in the tall grasses, and to raise their young. 

If a prairie site doesn't have a variety of plants, insects, birds, reptiles, and mammals will not choose the site as their home. Each animal needs specific types of plants for food and shelter. Some animals use only one type of plant. When a prairie has a large variety of plants, it attracts a wider variety of animals.