Marmot in Kashmir.jpg
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Marmots are large ground squirrels in the genus ''Marmota'', with 15 species living in Asia, Europe, and North America. These
herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...
s are active during the summer, when they can often be found in groups, but are not seen during the winter, when they
hibernate Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It most ...
underground. They are the heaviest members of the
squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...
family.


Description

Marmots are large rodents with characteristically short but robust legs, enlarged claws which are well adapted to digging, stout bodies, and large heads and incisors to quickly process a variety of vegetation. While most species are various forms of earthen-hued brown, marmots vary in fur coloration based roughly on their surroundings. Species in more open habitat are more likely to have a paler color, while those sometimes found in well-
forested A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
regions tend to be darker. Marmots are the heaviest members of the
squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...
family. Total length varies typically from about and body mass averages about in spring in the smaller species and in autumn, at times exceeding , in the larger species. The largest and smallest species are not clearly known. In North America, on the basis of mean linear dimensions and body masses through the year, the smallest species appears to be the
Alaska marmot The Alaska marmot (''Marmota broweri''), also known as the Brooks Range marmot or the Brower's marmot, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. Once considered to be the same species as the hoary marmot, it is now known to be unique. Alas ...
and the largest is the
Olympic marmot The Olympic marmot (''Marmota olympus'') is a rodent in the squirrel family, Sciuridae; it occurs only in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, on the middle elevations of the Olympic Peninsula. The closest relatives of this species ...
. Some species, such as the
Himalayan marmot The Himalayan marmot (''Marmota himalayana'') is a marmot species that inhabits alpine grasslands throughout the Himalayas and on the Tibetan Plateau. It is IUCN Red Listed as Least Concern because of its wide range and possibly large population. ...
and
Tarbagan marmot The tarbagan marmot (''Marmota sibirica'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in China (Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang), northern and western Mongolia, and Russia (southwest Siberia, Tuva, Transbaikalia). In the Mongoli ...
in Asia, appear to attain roughly similar body masses to the Olympic marmot, but are not known to reach as high a total length as the Olympic species. In the traditional definition of
hibernation Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It most ...
, the largest marmots are considered the largest "true hibernators" (since larger "hibernators" such as
bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...
s do not have the same physiological characteristics as obligate hibernating animals such as assorted rodents, bats and
insectivores A robber fly eating a hoverfly An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects. The first vertebrate insectivores wer ...
).


Biology

Some species live in mountainous areas, such as the Alps, northern
Apennines The Apennines or Apennine Mountains (; grc-gre, links=no, Ἀπέννινα ὄρη or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; la, Appenninus or  – a singular with plural meaning;''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which wou ...
, Carpathians, Tatras, and Pyrenees in Europe; northwestern Asia; the Rocky Mountains, Black Hills, the
Cascade Cascade, Cascades or Cascading may refer to: Science and technology Science *Cascade waterfalls, or series of waterfalls * Cascade, the CRISPR-associated complex for antiviral defense (a protein complex) * Cascade (grape), a type of fruit * Bioc ...
and Pacific Ranges, and the
Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...
in North America; and the
Deosai Plateau Deosai National Park () is a high-altitude alpine plain (plateau) and National Park located in Astore, Gilgit-Baltistan. Deosai Plains are situated at an average elevation of 4,114 metres (13,497 ft) above sea level and considered as th ...
in Pakistan and Ladakh in India. Other species prefer rough grassland and can be found widely across North America and the
Eurasian Steppe The Eurasian Steppe, also simply called the Great Steppe or the steppes, is the vast steppe ecoregion of Eurasia in the temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands biome. It stretches through Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Transnistri ...
. The slightly smaller and more social
prairie dog Prairie dogs (genus ''Cynomys'') are herbivorous burrowing ground squirrels native to the grasslands of North America. Within the genus are five species: black-tailed, white-tailed, Gunnison's, Utah, and Mexican prairie dogs. In Mexico, p ...
is not classified in the genus ''Marmota'', but in the related genus ''Cynomys''. Marmots typically live in
burrow An Eastern chipmunk at the entrance of its burrow A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of sh ...
s (often within rockpiles, particularly in the case of the
yellow-bellied marmot The yellow-bellied marmot (''Marmota flaviventris''), also known as the rock chuck, is a large, stout-bodied ground squirrel in the marmot genus. It is one of fourteen species of marmots, and is native to mountainous regions of southwestern Canad ...
), and
hibernate Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It most ...
there through the winter. Most marmots are highly social and use loud whistles to communicate with one another, especially when alarmed. Marmots mainly eat greens and many types of grasses, berries,
lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...
es, roots, and flowers.


Subgenera and species

The following is a list of all ''Marmota'' species recognized by Thorington and Hoffman plus the recently defined ''M. kastschenkoi''. They divide marmots into two
subgenera In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...
. *Genus ''Marmota'' – marmots **Subgenus ''Marmota'' ***
Alaska marmot The Alaska marmot (''Marmota broweri''), also known as the Brooks Range marmot or the Brower's marmot, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. Once considered to be the same species as the hoary marmot, it is now known to be unique. Alas ...
, Brower's marmot, or Brooks Range marmot, ''M. broweri'' found in Alaska ***
Alpine marmot The alpine marmot (''Marmota marmota'') is a large ground-dwelling squirrel, from the genus of marmots. It is found in high numbers in mountainous areas of central and southern Europe, at heights between in the Alps, Carpathians, Tatras and No ...
, ''M. marmota'' found only in Europe in the Alps, Carpathian Mountains, Tatra Mountains, northern Apennine Mountains, and reintroduced in the Pyrenees ***
Black-capped marmot The black-capped marmot (''Marmota camtschatica'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to the Russian Far East, but its range is discontinuous and divided into three main parts, each with its own subspecies. The black-c ...
, ''M. camtschatica'' found in eastern Siberia *** Bobak marmot, ''M. bobak'' found from eastern Europe to central Asia ***
Forest-steppe marmot The forest-steppe marmot (''Marmota kastschenkoi'') is a rodent species of the marmot genus found in south-central Russia. It lives in wooded forest steppe at an altitude of in a relatively small region located directly east of the upper Ob Rive ...
, ''M. kastschenkoi'' found in south Russia *** Gray marmot or Altai marmot, ''M. baibacina'' found in Siberia *** Groundhog, woodchuck, or whistlepig, ''M. monax'' found in much of Canada and east of the Mississippi in northern USA ***
Himalayan marmot The Himalayan marmot (''Marmota himalayana'') is a marmot species that inhabits alpine grasslands throughout the Himalayas and on the Tibetan Plateau. It is IUCN Red Listed as Least Concern because of its wide range and possibly large population. ...
or Tibetan snow pig, ''M. himalayana'' found in the Himalayas ***
Long-tailed marmot The long-tailed marmot (''Marmota caudata'') or golden marmot is a marmot species in the family Sciuridae. It occurs in mountainous regions in the central parts of Asia where it lives in open or lightly wooded habitats, often among rocks where dw ...
, golden marmot, or red marmot, ''M. caudata'' found in central Asia ***
Menzbier's marmot The Menzbier's marmot (''Marmota menzbieri'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae from Central Asia. Its name commemorates Russian zoologist Mikhail Aleksandrovich Menzbier. Distribution and habitat It inhabits meadows and steppe at ...
, ''M. menzbieri'' found in central Asia ***
Tarbagan marmot The tarbagan marmot (''Marmota sibirica'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in China (Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang), northern and western Mongolia, and Russia (southwest Siberia, Tuva, Transbaikalia). In the Mongoli ...
, Mongolian marmot, or ''tarvaga'', ''M. sibirica'' found in Siberia **Subgenus ''Petromarmota'' ***
Hoary marmot The hoary marmot (''Marmota caligata'') is a species of marmot that inhabits the mountains of northwest North America. Hoary marmots live near the tree line on slopes with grasses and forbs to eat and rocky areas for cover. It is the largest Nor ...
, ''M. caligata'' found in northwestern North America (Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Montana) ***
Olympic marmot The Olympic marmot (''Marmota olympus'') is a rodent in the squirrel family, Sciuridae; it occurs only in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, on the middle elevations of the Olympic Peninsula. The closest relatives of this species ...
, ''M. olympus'' endemic to the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, United States *** Vancouver Island marmot, ''M. vancouverensis'' endemic to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada ***
Yellow-bellied marmot The yellow-bellied marmot (''Marmota flaviventris''), also known as the rock chuck, is a large, stout-bodied ground squirrel in the marmot genus. It is one of fourteen species of marmots, and is native to mountainous regions of southwestern Canad ...
, ''M. flaviventris'' found in southwestern Canada and western United States Additionally, four
extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
species of marmots are recognized from the fossil record: *†''Marmota arizonae'', Arizona, U.S. *†''Marmota minor'', Nevada, U.S. *''Marmota robusta'', China = ''M. himalayana'' *†''Marmota vetus'', Nebraska, U.S.


History and etymology

Marmots have been known since antiquity. Research by the
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
ethnologist
Michel Peissel Michel Georges Francois Peissel (February 11, 1937 – October 7, 2011) was a French ethnologist, explorer and author. He wrote twenty books mostly on his Himalayan and Tibetan expeditions. Peissel was an emeritus member of the Explorers Club an ...
claimed the story of the "
Gold-digging ant The gold-digging ant is a mythical insect described in classical and medieval bestiaries. They were dog- or fox-sized ants that dug up gold in sandy areas. Some versions of the ''Physiologus'' said they came from Ethiopia, while Herodotus claimed ...
" reported by the Ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the fifth century BCE, was founded on the golden
Himalayan marmot The Himalayan marmot (''Marmota himalayana'') is a marmot species that inhabits alpine grasslands throughout the Himalayas and on the Tibetan Plateau. It is IUCN Red Listed as Least Concern because of its wide range and possibly large population. ...
of the Deosai Plateau and the habit of local tribes such as the
Brokpa The Brokpa (), sometimes referred to as Minaro, are a small ethnic group mostly found in the union territory of Ladakh, India around the villages of Dha and Hanu. Some of the community are also located across the Line of Control in Baltista ...
to collect the gold dust excavated from their burrows. Some historians believe that
Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...
's ''λέων μύρμηξ'' and Agatharchides's ''μυρμηκολέων'', most probably are the marmot. An anatomically accurate image of a marmot was printed and distributed as early as 1605 by Jacopo Ligozzi, who was noted for his images of flora and fauna. The etymology of the term "marmot" is uncertain. It may have arisen from the
Gallo-Romance The Gallo-Romance branch of the Romance languages includes in the narrowest sense the Langues d'oïl and Franco-Provençal. However, other definitions are far broader, variously encompassing the Occitano-Romance, Gallo-Italic, and Rhaeto-Romanc ...
prefix ''marm-'', meaning to mumble or murmur (an example of onomatopoeia). Another possible origin is postclassical Latin, ''mus montanus'', meaning "mountain mouse". Beginning in 2010, Alaska celebrates February 2 as "
Marmot Day Marmot Day is an Alaskan holiday established to celebrate marmots and Alaskan culture. Although local festivals have been part and parcel of frontier life for decades, Marmot Day became an official holiday on April 18, 2009, when the 26th Alaska ...
", a holiday intended to observe the prevalence of marmots in that state and take the place of
Groundhog Day Groundhog Day ( pdc, Grund'sau dåk, , , ; Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a popular North American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from ...
.


Relationship to the Black Death

A number of historians and paleogeneticists have postulated that the '' Yersinia pestis'' variant that caused the pandemic that struck Eurasia in the
14th century As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was a century lasting from 1 January 1301 ( MCCCI), to 31 December 1400 ( MCD). It is estimated that the century witnessed the death of more than 45 million lives from political and n ...
originated from a variant for which marmots in China were the natural reservoir species.The American Historical Review
"The Four Black Deaths"
December 17, 2020. Accessed March 27, 2010.


Examples of species

File:Marmota flaviventris (Yellow Bellied Marmot), Yosemite NP - Diliff.jpg,
Yellow-bellied marmot The yellow-bellied marmot (''Marmota flaviventris''), also known as the rock chuck, is a large, stout-bodied ground squirrel in the marmot genus. It is one of fourteen species of marmots, and is native to mountainous regions of southwestern Canad ...
(''Marmota flaviventris'', Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park File:Marmot_princeton.JPG, Yellow-bellied marmot, near
Princeton, British Columbia Princeton (originally Vermilion Forks) is a town in the Similkameen region of southern British Columbia, Canada."The rich history of Princeton or how Vermilion Forks made it on the map...", Princeton 2008 Visitors Guide, p. 4. It lies just east o ...
File:OlympicMarmotImageFromNPS.jpg, Olympic marmot (''Marmota olympus'') File:Groundhog, eating.jpg, Groundhog (''Marmota monax''),
Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, Ontario File:Hoary_marmot2.jpg,
Hoary marmot The hoary marmot (''Marmota caligata'') is a species of marmot that inhabits the mountains of northwest North America. Hoary marmots live near the tree line on slopes with grasses and forbs to eat and rocky areas for cover. It is the largest Nor ...
(''Marmota caligata''), Mount Rainier National Park File:Alpine Marmot portrait.jpg,
Alpine marmot The alpine marmot (''Marmota marmota'') is a large ground-dwelling squirrel, from the genus of marmots. It is found in high numbers in mountainous areas of central and southern Europe, at heights between in the Alps, Carpathians, Tatras and No ...
,
Vanoise National Park Vanoise National Park (french: Parc national de la Vanoise) is a French national park between the Tarentaise and Maurienne valleys in the French Alps, containing the Vanoise massif. It was created in 1963 as the first national park in France. ...
, French Alps File:Marmota camtschatica img 4973.jpg,
Black-capped marmot The black-capped marmot (''Marmota camtschatica'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to the Russian Far East, but its range is discontinuous and divided into three main parts, each with its own subspecies. The black-c ...
(''Marmota camtschatica'') File:Marmota caudata Kashmir.jpg,
Long-tailed marmot The long-tailed marmot (''Marmota caudata'') or golden marmot is a marmot species in the family Sciuridae. It occurs in mountainous regions in the central parts of Asia where it lives in open or lightly wooded habitats, often among rocks where dw ...
(''Marmota caudata''),
Kashmir Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
File:Himalayan Marmot at Tshophu Lake Bhutan 091007 b.jpg,
Himalayan marmot The Himalayan marmot (''Marmota himalayana'') is a marmot species that inhabits alpine grasslands throughout the Himalayas and on the Tibetan Plateau. It is IUCN Red Listed as Least Concern because of its wide range and possibly large population. ...
(''Marmota himalayanus''), Bhutan File:Marmota baibacina.jpg, Gray marmot (''Marmota baibacina''),
Altai Mountains The Altai Mountains (), also spelled Altay Mountains, are a mountain range in Central Asia, Central and East Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan converge, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob River, Ob have their headwaters. The m ...
, Kazakhstan File:Marmota sibirica - (Russia, Mongolia) - Rochers-de-Naye, Switzerland, 2009.JPG,
Tarbagan marmot The tarbagan marmot (''Marmota sibirica'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in China (Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang), northern and western Mongolia, and Russia (southwest Siberia, Tuva, Transbaikalia). In the Mongoli ...
(''Marmota sibirica''), Russia and Mongolia File:Steppenmurmeltier.jpg, Drawing of bobak marmot (''Marmota bobak'')


References


External links


The Marmot Burrow


{{Authority control * Rodents of Asia Rodents of Europe Rodents of North America Extant Miocene first appearances Taxa named by Johann Friedrich Blumenbach