Yellow-bellied Marmot
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Marmota flaviventris
Marmota flaviventris
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Population, Conservation Status, Threats:
Considered least concern by the IUCN, populations appear to be stable. As an adaptable species primarily residing in areas too remote or rugged to be widely exploited by humans, they are not considered particularly threatened by human interference or other causes.
Physical Description:
Yellow-bellied marmots are large rodents, with broad heads, small ears, and medium-length, moderately bushy tails. Their red-gray coat becomes a lighter yellow on the belly and neck, as their name suggests, and their head is usually darker than the body, while the snout is lighter. Some individuals may appear more red or orange than yellow, and the tail is typically darker and redder than the rest of the body.
Overall yellow-bellied marmot range from Montana Field Guide. Yellow-bellied marmots are present in alpine and sub-alpine ecosystems across the American west.
Habitat:
Prefer open meadows in subalpine to alpine environments with abundance of shelter-providing rocks. Marmots will build burrows directly underneath rocks, or within crevasses and caves in rock fields and cliff faces, while seeking out adjacent open grasslands to feed in.
Behavior:
Marmots form small family groups, consisting of one male and his several female mates, along with any current offspring. Males defend their territories fiercely. They are a fairly vocal species, known for their loud alarm whistles and quiet tooth-grinding threat vocalizations. They are mainly active at dawn and early afternoon to evening. Yellow-bellied marmots spend over half the year in hibernation, from early fall to spring. While their hibernation burrows can be quite deep - up to 21 feet - , during the warm months, they sleep and shelter in smaller daily burrows around 3 feet deep.
Diet:
Marmots are primarily herbivorous, feeding on forbs, grasses, and seeds, though they will also feed on fruit and insects when available.
Reproduction:
After emerging from hibernation in February to May, males breed with their harem, producing an average of 5 young per litter. After about a year, male offspring will leave the family group to form their own territories and harems. Females take longer to mature, breeding at two years, and tend to stay closer to home after maturing.
Associated Species:
Golden eagles, foxes and bobcats prey upon yellow-bellied marmots.
Illustration by Willow Sedam
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