What kind of animal is a marmot? Explanation of characteristics, ecology, habitat, lifespan, and breeding

What kind of animal is a marmot? We will explain its characteristics, ecology, habitat, lifespan, and breeding. Marmots are very cute animals that are in demand as pets. There are many subspecies of marmots. We will introduce them all, so please use them as a reference.

What is a marmot? About basic status

Marmots are animals classified in the rodent family Squirrel family, genus Marmota. It is a medium-sized animal with a body length of 30 to 75 cm and a weight of 2 to 7.5 kg. As I will introduce below, there are many subspecies, and they are divided into many classifications.

Japanese（和名）	マーモット
English（英名）	marmota
scientific name(学名)	Marmota Blumenbach
classification（分類）	Mammalia、Rodentia、Sciuridae、Marmotini 哺乳綱、齧歯目、リス科、マーモット属
IUCN Status(保全状況)	LEAST CONCERN
Height（身長）	30～75cm
Weight（体重）	2～7.5㎏

Have marmots been known since ancient times?

Marmots have been known since ancient times. The work of French ethnologist Michel Peisel was already mentioned in the story of the “gold-digging ant” reported by Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian who lived in the 5th century BC. The origin of the term “marmot” is unknown. Since 2010, February 2nd has been celebrated as Marmot Day in Alaska.

About marmot habitat

There are many subspecies of marmots, and if you count them all, you will find that they live in a fairly wide range of areas, including Europe, Canada, America, Russia, and China. Marmots mainly live in mountainous regions such as the Alps, Carpathians, Tatras, Pyrenees, and Rocky Mountains.

feature is? What kind of creature is it?

Marmots have short but strong legs and large claws that are suitable for digging. It has a large head and incisors to quickly process grass, making it very quick. The color of a marmot’s fur is very similar to the color of its surroundings for camouflage. Marmots generally live in burrows and hibernate during the winter.

What will your personality look like?

Marmots are highly social animals and have a strong sense of companionship. When danger approaches, they will alert their friends with a high-pitched voice, or even play around with each other. Marmots are very wary, and if a human tries to approach them, they will immediately make a warning sound and run away, making them quite thoughtful animals.

What is the ecology of marmots?

Marmots are herbivorous, eating grass, fruits, moss, tree roots, flowers, etc. Marmots are active from mid-April to late September, but hibernate from early October to mid-April. The breeding season occurs in the spring, just after hibernation. It is said that it takes about two years to reach sexual maturity. Their lifespan is 15 years in the wild and over 20 years in captivity.

What are the natural enemies of marmots?

Marmots’ natural enemies include carnivores such as eagles and foxes. Dogs and cats are also natural enemies and are preyed upon.

There are many subspecies of marmots.Are there any endangered species?

Marmots are known to have many subspecies. There are the following subspecies, and their habitats vary. Some subspecies are at risk of extinction and require urgent conservation action.

Name:名前	academic name （学名）	Group （属名）	Habit （生息地）
Gray marmot ハイイロマーモット	Marmota baibacina	Marmota	Siberia シベリア
Bobak marmot ステップマーモット	Marmota bobak	Marmota	Europe, Asia ヨーロッパ、アジア
Alaska marmot アラスカマーモット	Marmota broweri	Marmota	Alaska アラスカ
Black-capped marmot ズグロマーモット	Marmota camtschatica	Marmota	Siberia シベリア
Long-tailed marmot オナガマーモット	Marmota caudata	Marmota	Asia アジア
Forest-steppe marmot フォレストステップマーモット	Marmota kastschenkoi	Marmota	Russia ロシア
Himalayan marmot ヒマラヤマーモット	Marmota himalayana	Marmota	himalayas ヒマラヤ山脈
Alpine marmot アルプスマーモット	Marmota marmota	Marmota	Europe ヨーロッパ
Menzbier’s marmot ティエンシャンマーモット	Marmota menzbieri	Marmota	Asia アジア
Groundhog ウッドチャック	Marmota monax	Marmota	USA アメリカ
Tarbagan marmot シベリアマーモット	Marmota sibirica	Marmota	Siberia シベリア
Hoary marmot シラガマーモット	Marmota caligata	Petromarmota	USA アメリカ
Yellow-bellied marmot  キバラマーモット	Marmota flaviventris	Petromarmota	Canada カナダ
Olympic marmot オリンピックマーモット	Marmota olympus	Petromarmota	USA アメリカ
Vancouver Island marmot バンクーバーマーモット	Marmota vancouverensis	Petromarmota	Canada カナダ

What is a gray marmot?

The gray marmot is one of the largest species in the Palearctic region. The front feet have four fingers and strong claws for digging in the soil, and the hind feet have five fingers. The coat is gray and the fur on the back is beige to tan, with brown to black hairs or tips mixed throughout.

What is a steppe marmot?

Steppe marmots range from central and eastern Ukraine through far southwestern Russia to northern and central Kazakhstan. These marmots are very sociable and communicate with each other by making loud whistles when alarmed.

What is an Alaskan marmot?

Alaskan marmots live in the Yukon and Porcupine River mountains of north-central Alaska, including the Brooks Range, Ray Range, and Kokrines Hills. This marmot is particularly found in grasslands, inland cliffs, and mountain peaks. The Alaskan marmot is characterized by a short neck, broad and short head, small ears, short, powerful legs and feet, and a tail covered with bushy, dense fur. The fur on the nose and the back of the head are usually dark in color.

What is a black marmot?

The black marmot is a marmot with a short tail. The dorsal fur is greyish-yellow-gray and the underside fur is cinnamon-colored. The tail is brownish-black. The upper part of the head is brownish-black. Black marmots hibernate from September to mid-May. They live in the harshest environment in the world because they live in the arctic tundra. Therefore, they are diurnal and depend on sunlight hours.

What is a long-tailed marmot?

The long-tailed marmot is characterized by a relatively light overall body color, either golden-yellow or orange-yellow. The face is brownish, and the top of the head is usually brown to black. The eyes are fairly flat near the top of the head, the ears are small, and the neck is short. The long-tailed marmot is distributed in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, India, and China.

What is a forest steppe marmot?

This marmot is found in central and southern Russia. The population is estimated to have remained stable over the past several decades at approximately 14,000 to 16,000 individuals. This marmot lives in a relatively small area due east of the upper Ob River, and not much information is available about it.

What is a Himalayan marmot?

Himalayan marmots have dense woolly fur with a dark gray back and dark yellowish tints on the ears, belly, and limbs. It is one of the largest marmots in the world, about the same size as a domestic cat. Himalayan marmots live in northeastern Pakistan, northern India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China.

What is an Alpine marmot?

Alpine marmots are said to be animals of the cold grasslands of the Pleistocene era, and are said to have survived since ancient times. Alpine marmots continue to live in alpine grasslands at high altitudes. Alpine marmots live throughout the European Alps, extending to the alpine regions of France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Austria.

What is Tian Xiang Marmot?

Tianshan marmots live in the mountainous regions of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. It is unique among marmots and is quite conspicuous with its dark colored upper body and rear. Tien Xiang marmots prefer moist areas with short grass at high altitudes.

What is a woodchuck?

Woodchucks range from the lowlands of North America across Canada and into Alaska. Although marmots are supposed to prefer higher areas, they are unique among marmots as they are low-lying animals. Woodchucks are highly intelligent animals that form dense social networks and value social norms.

What is a Siberian marmot?

The Siberian marmot is also known as Tarbagan. Siberian marmots live in China, Russia, and Mongolia, and prefer areas above 300 meters above sea level. Due to overhunting for its fur, its population has declined dramatically and it is also designated as an endangered species.

What is Shiraga Marmot?

The white-breasted marmot lives in the mountains of northwestern North America, where it eats grass and pastures on slopes and hides in rocky places. This marmot is characterized by short limbs and a wide head. In most species, males are larger than females.

What is Kibara Marmot?

The brown marmot is a diurnal creature that lives from the United States to Canada, including the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada Mountains. Predators include wolves, foxes, coyotes, dogs, and eagles, so they move quickly and work together with their friends. They spend about 80% of their lives in burrows.

What is an Olympic marmot?

The Olympic marmot is an endemic species found only in Washington state. This marmot is about the same size as a domestic cat, with males weighing more than females. It has a wide head, small eyes and ears, stubby legs, and a long, bushy tail.

What is a Vancouver marmot?

The Vancouver marmot is listed as an endangered species and is in critical condition. They are only found on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, so their numbers are small. With 90% of the population gone, Canada has implemented conservation programs for this species and the population is slowly starting to recover.

Can marmots be kept?

So, finally, is it possible to raise animals at all? What kind of environment do you prefer? Please have the following tools available at your pet store:

A burrow is an essential tool

Marmots basically spend most of their time in burrows. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare some kind of nest box. Winter is also the time of hibernation.

How much does it cost?

Marmot seems to cost around 500,000 to 1 million yen in Japanese yen. Also, subspecies that are designated as endangered species are unlikely to be obtained because their numbers are small in the first place.

What kind of food is good?

Their food is plant-based, so they love grass, nuts, and fruits. These preparations are required. Please do not feed them food like guinea pigs. Marmots are different from guinea pigs.

Is it possible to get used to humans?

This all depends on the marmot’s personality. They are naturally very cautious creatures, so it is impossible to play with them all of a sudden. Please take your time and gradually shorten the distance.