Common Name: Yellow-bellied Marmot
Species: Marmota flaviventris
Yellow-bellied marmots belong to
the Mammalian Order Rodentia, in the squirrel family,
Sciruridae. Sciruirdae includes all species of prairie
dog, chipmunk and the woodchuck. The yellow-bellied
marmot's scientific name is Marmota flaviventris. The
generic name, marmota, is derived from the Romansch word
murmont, which means “mountain mouse”. The specific
name, flaviventris, means "yellow belly" in Latin,
referring to the animal’s yellow underside.
Marmots are large, stocky animals.
Yellow-bellied marmots are easily identified by the
brownish fur on their back coupled with their yellow to
orange undersides. Males are larger than females. They
usually weigh about ten pounds, and grow to about 30
inches. Females reach weights of eight pounds and
lengths of 25 inches.
Yellow-bellied marmots live at
elevations of about 6,000-13,000ft throughout western
North America, including the United States and Canada.
Highland pastures, meadows and steppes are the preferred
habitat for this species. The fields in which these
animals construct their burrows are surrounded by their
primary food sources. Herbaceous plants, leaves,
blossoms, legumes, grains fruits and insects comprise
the yellow-bellied marmot’s main diet.
Although members of the squirrel
family, marmots are a type of ground dwelling squirrel.
They are primarily terrestrial and diurnal. The basic
social structure of the yellow-bellied marmot is a
single male with a harem of two or three females. Males
are territorial, and aggressively defend their harem.
Females are not agonistic, raising offspring jointly
within the harem.
Marmots maintain a burrow system
more than a yard in depth. Their hibernation burrows,
which they may use as early as August, usually exceed
15-20ft in depth. Breeding occurs in the spring, usually
in April, shortly after the animals emerge from
hibernation. Gestation is about 30 days. A female gives
birth to one litter of 3-8 offspring each year in the
spring. They are born altricial. This means the baby
marmots are born relatively undeveloped, requiring large
amounts of parental care. Three weeks later they emerge
from the nest. The young marmots remain with their
mother until the following summer, even hibernating with
her. The male of the harem drives out the male offspring
upon their awakening from hibernation. Female offspring
are allowed to remain in the harem. Sexual maturity is
achieved at two years of age, although they do not breed
until three years. The lifespan of the yellow-bellied
marmot is approximately 13-15 years.
The yellow-bellied marmot is not
endangered. Some consider the species a pest, and
populations are stable enough to support human hunting.
However, as with all species, pollution and habitat
destruction are an ever present threat. Continued
regulation of human interactions with the yellow-bellied
marmot will ensure its prosperous existence.