Species: Marmota baibacina = Gray (Altai) marmot. Gray marmot Gray marmot

Marmota baibacina kastchenkoi Stroganov et Judin, 1956
Squad Rodents (Rodentia)
Squirrel family (Sciuridae)
Taxonomic position. Suborder Sciuromorpha, Brandt, 1855. Superfamily Sciuroidea s. 1., tribe Marmotini s. str.
Status. IV category.
Brief description of the species. A large marmot, body length reaches 65, tail - 13 cm. The fur on the dorsal side is sandy-yellow, with black or black-brown ends of the spine, on the ventral side it is brownish-red. The top of the head is dark coffee in color: the tail on top is colored on the back, darker below. Winter fur is relatively long, soft, and thick.
General distribution. Distributed in Mongolia and China. It is found in Kyrgyzstan to the west to the eastern slopes of the Fergana ridge and the valley of the river. Arpa, in the mountains of South-Eastern Kazakhstan. Within Russia it is found in Altai and Krasnoyarsk region, Republic of Tyva, Tomsk and Kemerovo regions.
Distribution in the region. In the territory Novosibirsk region The distribution of the species is limited both in the past and in the present to the right bank of the Ob River, which is due to the landscape features of this region. In general, in the region, marmots are found in the following areas: Ordynsky (right bank part), Iskitimsky, Toguchinsky, Bolotninsky, Moshkovsky, Maslyaninsky, Cherepanovsky, Suzunsky.
Habitats. All habitats are confined to elements of rugged and dissected relief (hill slopes, gullies, ravines, river terraces). Sometimes during resettlement, marmots occupy biotopes that are unusual for them: holes and ditches dug by humans, the outskirts of abandoned villages. Wet areas, solid forested areas Marmots avoid flat plains.
Number and trends of its change. For the first time unified methodology Groundhog surveys were carried out in 1984. In subsequent years, these works were carried out irregularly and not throughout the entire territory. Available materials on the number of animals show that over the past 35 years there has been a consistent decline in the number of species in the region, which in 1969 was . 8 thousand, and in 1984 - 7 thousand individuals. Currently, the number of animals is estimated at 5-6 thousand individuals.
Main limiting factors. In practice, the distribution of the marmot throughout the region is determined by the degree of agricultural impact on its habitat. The second most important limiting factor for the species is poaching, the calculation of which is currently reducing the number of the species within the settlements that remain away from agricultural development.
Features of biology and ecology. They live in colonies. Settlements are most often arranged on sunny exposures of beams, hills, i.e. where the snow melts early. Marmots are true burrowers. Animals have certain requirements for places to build burrows. Burrows are dug in dry areas; the nature of the soil and the level of groundwater should allow digging holes to a depth that ensures optimal temperature in the nest, and, consequently, the animal’s body temperature during hibernation(the lowest fat consumption occurs at a temperature of +6°C). The environment must ensure visual and audio communication between individual individuals of the colony, and thereby the safety of these relatively defenseless and sedentary animals. Near the burrow there should be herbaceous vegetation suitable for feeding. There are two types of burrows: nesting (also wintering) and temporary, serving as shelter. The burrow has several nesting chambers, and the total length of the passages can reach tens of meters. During the construction, expansion, repair and cleaning of burrows, the earth is thrown to the surface, and heaps up to 1.5 m high, the so-called marmots or butanes, are formed. Marmots are diurnal. However, in unusual conditions - the noise of agricultural machinery, the constant presence of humans near the burrows - they can go out to feed at night. Marmots are characterized by deep and long hibernation, during which significant changes in physiological state occur. In particular, thermoregulation turns off, body temperature drops from 36-38°C to 4.6-7.6°C; Gas exchange decreases, the number of heartbeats decreases from 100 to 10, respirations - from 20 to 3 per minute. The timing of burial, as well as exit from the hole, is not constant. By August, most marmots hibernate. Exit from the burrows begins with the appearance of the first thawed patches (approximately from the end of April). Marmots breed once a year and, obviously, not always annually. The rut occurs after waking up. They mate in burrows before emerging to the surface. Pregnancy lasts about 40 days. The number of cubs ranges from 2 to 11. The lactation period lasts 35-40 days. They become sexually mature in the third year of life. The life expectancy of marmots is about 15 years. The enemies of marmots are stray dogs, wolves, foxes, bears, steppe choruses and large feathered predators. Marmots suffer from plague and are carriers of this dangerous disease.
Breeding. No breeding work was carried out.
Security measures taken. Limited economic use. Protected in the biological reserve “Manuylovsky” Bolotninsky district).
Necessary security measures. A widespread ban on digging holes and restrictions on grazing. Preventing livestock and dogs from grazing in marmot settlement areas. Avoid allocating land for collective gardens in areas where colonies are located.
Information sources. 1 - Kolosov et al., 1979; 2 - Galkina, Yudin, Redina, 1986; 3 - Shubin, 1991; 4 - Kiryukhin, Delepnev, 1998.
Compiled by S. T. Kiryukhin.

Gray marmot (Altai marmot) is similar to boibak and tarbagan (body length up to 65 cm, tail up to 13 cm), but the wool is longer and softer than theirs. The top of the head is dark. The main color is sandy-yellow on the dorsal side with a strong admixture of black or black-brown, since the dark ends of the awns are longer than those of the bobak and tarbagan. The lower surface is darker and redder than the sides; The buffy-reddish color often extends to the lower part of the cheeks. The dark coloration of the top of the head is well developed, but is usually not separated from the coloration of the upper surface of the neck and the front of the back; the exception is some individuals in faded early spring fur.

The area under the eyes and on the cheeks (except for the lower and posterior parts of the latter) is heavily mottled with black and brown hair ends. The area where the vibrissae are attached has the same color; if it is light, then it is separated by brownish ripples from the light, reddish color of the lower part of the cheeks. The coloring of the ears and the edging of the lips are like those of a bobak. The tail is dark below, colored above similar to the back.

The zygomatic arches are widely spaced and extend backward only slightly less than those of the bobak. The postorbital tubercle is more pronounced than in other species; the swelling in the anterosuperior corner of the orbit and the supraorbital foramina are relatively poorly developed. The upper edges of the orbits are slightly raised, and the ends of the supraorbital processes are relatively slightly descended. The lacrimal bone is large, close to square in shape; its greatest height above the lacrimal opening is equal to or slightly less than the smallest distance between the lacrimal and prealacrimal; both of them, especially the second one, are larger than those of the bobak. The posterior edge of the lacrimal bone along its entire length forms a suture with the anterior edge of the orbital processes of the maxillary bones. The latter, like those of the tarbagan, are somewhat reduced, usually do not have a separate triangular or rectangular outgrowth in the anterior section, and if there is one, it only slightly rises above the upper edge of the lacrimal bone. The anterior upper premolar (P3) in relative size occupies an intermediate position between that of the boibak and tarbagan; the trace of the fusion of the posterior roots of the lower anterior root (P4) is clearly visible, and in approximately 10% of individuals the root below is forked.

Fossil remains of gray marmots of Quaternary age are known from Altai caves.

Spreading. Mountainous regions of Kazakhstan and northern Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia ( Mongolian Altai to the east approximately to the Kobdo meridian), Northwestern China(Chinese Tien Shan, northern Tibet). In the USSR, it inhabits Altai east to the southern tip of Lake Teletskoye, the Chulymshansky ridge, lake. Kyndyktykol and r. Burhei-Murei in the west of the Tuva Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic; Western Sayan (isolated area of ​​the range). A distribution area isolated from the main part of the Altai range is found in the Tomsk and Kemerovo regions (up to 56° N in the north and 85° E in the east), as well as in the vicinity of Novosibirsk (the villages of Kayenskoye, Eltsovka, etc.). To the south - to state border and ridges of southern Altai (Naryn, Kurchum). Inhabits Saur, Tarbagatai, Chingiztau, Kazakh small hills north of Balkhash, Dzungarian (except for the southwestern ridges), Trans-Ili and Kyrgyz Alatau, as well as the ridges of the central Tien Shan. The western border here runs along the northern slopes of the Dzhumgoltau ridge, the Sonkul Highlands, the eastern slopes of the Fergana ridge, and the valley of the river. Arpa and Jamantau ridge; to the east and southeast from here it extends to the state border. Acclimatized in the Gunibsky region of Mountainous Dagestan, at an altitude of 1500-1800 m above sea level. m.

Habitats range from dry slopes of logs and river valleys of the West Siberian forest-steppe and low steppe uplands of the Kazakh Highlands to the highlands inclusive: the alpine belt and cold desert of the central Tien Shan and the alpine xerophytic tundra of Altai. The highest population density of marmots currently occurs (obviously, not without human influence) in alpine meadows, the smallest - in the desert highlands. Apparently, the conditions of the mountain steppe should be considered optimal; in those places where the colonies are difficult for humans to reach, even now the Altai marmot reaches significant numbers (central Tien Shan). In mountains with a developed forest belt, it settles in clearings, at its upper border and among the alpine bushes bordering it. To the east and south of Tomsk it lives along the forest-steppe slopes of logs and river valleys with rare woody vegetation, avoiding meadow areas.

Seasonal and daily activity, like other mountain species, significantly depends on the altitude of the area above sea level, slope exposure and weather conditions. The periods of hibernation and awakening can vary greatly (by 20 or more days) depending on the slope exposure, even in the same gorge. In places where marmots are pursued or disturbed by humans, their usual two-phase (morning and evening) activity is sharply disrupted, to the point of adapting to feeding at night.

The general patchwork of living conditions in the mountains is also associated with the uneven distribution of settlements of this species. Here, the presence of a layer of fine earth sufficient for digging wintering burrows is of paramount importance. In conditions of highly rugged alpine relief, its thickest layer accumulates in the area of ​​alluvial fans in the mouth parts of gorges, as well as on the lower parts of their slopes and the slopes of glacial cirques, which turn out to be the most populated. On the other hand, the presence or absence of colonies also depends on the distribution of snow cover. Near the melting snow patches, the animals find fresh and juicy food throughout the active season, eating plants that are in the initial stages of the growing season. At the same time, marmots often hibernate on slopes, where snow cover sets in early and melts late. In this case, the awakening animals not only have to break through a 1.5-2 meter layer of snow, but after awakening they move from here to summer and temporary burrows located near cesspools, already devoid of snow and covered with green grass. In foothill and low-mountain areas, resettlement is also determined by the progress of vegetation burning.

Compared to the burrows of plains marmots, the permanent burrows of the gray, especially wintering ones, are distinguished by significant complexity, but in general they are somewhat simpler than those of the red marmot. In addition, as in other mountain species, the earthen mound at the entrance - "butane" - is usually weakly expressed: the thrown out earth is easily carried down the slope. Often at the entrance there is a small trampled area on which the animal emerging from the hole is placed. “Observation points” are often located on stones or rocks adjacent to the hole. For the winter, the gray marmot clogs with earthen plugs not the entrance holes of the burrow, but the passages leading to the nest at a distance of 1.5-2 m from the nest. There are two or even three nesting chambers in one wintering hole, but their volume is less than that of plain forms.

The gray marmot, apparently, has a more pronounced need for feeding on succulent plant foods than the lowland species: they eat mainly leaves, flowers and young shoots. The change of feed is determined mainly by the growing season of certain species in different parts feeding area. In early spring Marmots eat last year's plant debris and use up the remaining fat accumulated since the fall. A fairly constant consumption of animal feed (insects and shellfish) is indicated. They reproduce once a year. The rut occurs in the spring, after awakening, sometimes, apparently, even before leaving the burrows. The number of young for the Tien Shan is 5-6, for Altai 2-3.

In the mountainous regions of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan it is still of paramount importance commercial value. In Altai, as well as in the foothills of other parts of the range, it has been severely exterminated. Further acclimatization work in the Caucasus can be considered quite promising. The meat is edible, the fat is suitable for technical purposes, and among the local population it is also used for medicinal purposes. The gray marmot is a natural carrier of the plague pathogen, supporting the existence of its foci in the mountains of Central Asia.

Geographical variability and subspecies. The size of Altai marmots increases with the altitude of the area, as well as towards the south in mountainous regions. In the southeastern parts of the distribution area, black tones in the color of the top are more developed, replacing brownish ones.

Marmots are a genus of rodents from the squirrel family, numbering 15 species. The closest relatives of marmots are ground squirrels and prairie dogs, more distant - squirrels and chipmunks. Marmots stand out for their large size both among their relatives and among rodents in general. Their ability to hibernate (“sleeps like a marmot”) is widely known, but many aspects of biology remain unknown to a wide range of nature lovers.

Description of marmots

The basic unit of the marmot population is the family. Each family has its own area populated by closely related individuals. Families are part of the colony. The size of the “land” of one colony can reach impressive sizes - 4.5–5 hectares. In the USA, he was given many names, for example, the earth pig, the whistler, the fear of trees, and even the red monk.

This is interesting! There is a belief that if on Groundhog Day (February 2) a groundhog comes out of its hole on a cloudy day, spring will come early.

If on a sunny day the animal crawls out and is afraid of its own shadow, wait at least another 6 weeks for spring. Punxsutawney Phil is the most popular groundhog. Individuals of this litter, according to established tradition, predict the coming of spring in the small town of Punxsutawney.

Appearance

The marmot is an animal with a plump body and a weight of 5-6 kg. The adult size is about 70 cm in length. The smallest species grows up to 50 cm, and the longest, the forest-steppe marmot, grows up to 75 cm. This is a plantigrade rodent with powerful paws, long claws and a wide, short muzzle. Despite their magnificent forms, marmots are able to move quickly, swim and even climb trees. The marmot's head is large and round, and the placement of its eyes allows it to cover a wide field of vision.

Its ears are small and round, almost completely hidden in fur. Numerous vibrissae are necessary for marmots to live underground. Their incisors are very well developed, their teeth are strong and quite long. The tail is long, dark, covered with hair, black at the tip. The fur is thick and coarse gray-brown on the back, the lower part of the peritoneum is rust-colored. The length of the print of the front and hind paws is 6 cm.

Types of marmots

There are over 15 known species of marmots that live in Russia. The most common of them:

• black-capped marmot (or Kamchatka) - Marmota camtschatica, tail up to 13 centimeters long, body up to 45 centimeters;
• Menzbier's marmot - Marmota menzbieri, tail up to 12 centimeters long, body up to 47 centimeters;
• Tarbagan (or Mongolian) marmot – Marmota sibirica, tail up to 10 centimeters long, body up to 56 centimeters;
• gray marmot (or Altai) – Marmota baibacina, body up to 65 centimeters long;
• bobak (or steppe) marmot – Marmota bobak, body up to 58 centimeters long;
• long-tailed marmot (or red) - Marmota caudata, tail up to 22 centimeters long, body up to 57 centimeters.

The steppe marmot has two subspecies - the European marmot and the Kazakh marmot, while the black-capped marmot has three - the Kamchatka marmot, the Yakut marmot and the Barguzin marmot.

Lifestyle of marmots

These animals like to spend most of their lives in their burrow. In places where a colony of marmots lives, there are several types of burrows, each of which has its own purpose. For example, they build burrows for protection, summer burrows (for breeding), and winter burrows (for hibernation).

At the end of summer - beginning of autumn, the animals settle into their winter “dwellings” for hibernation. To ensure that no one disturbs the family sleeping in the hole, the marmots close the entrances with “plugs” made of stones and earth. During sleep, their body is nourished by the fat layer accumulated over the summer. Already at the beginning of March, and sometimes at the end of February, animals awaken and return to their normal life activities.

Spreading

At the threshold of the 19th century, marmots were very widespread in the steppes and forest-steppes of the USSR, on the coast of the Irtysh River, in forb and feather grass steppes. Today, human activity has significantly reduced the habitats of these animals. Nowadays they are found in the Ulyanovsk, Saratov and Samara regions of the Volga region, in the reserves of the Voronezh and Lugansk regions, in places in the Kharkov and Rostov regions Ukraine. Baibaki are under state protection, and hunting them is prohibited. Marmots also live in the steppe regions of the Trans-Urals, in northern Kazakhstan, in the Altai Mountains and in the eastern Tien Shan.

What does it eat?

Marmots are herbivores and feed on green parts of plants. They look for food both on the ground and in trees. The composition of feed varies with seasons and habitats of species.

The diet of marmots includes leaves and flowers, forbs, and grain crops. Sometimes marmots eat snails, beetles, and grasshoppers. In early spring they feed on the bark, buds and shoots of apple, dogwood, bird cherry, peach, and red mulberry. Their favorite food is alfalfa and clover. Marmots also eat garden crops such as peas and beans. The diet in captivity consists of wild lettuce, clover, bluegrass and sweet clover. An adult marmot eats about 700 g of food per day. These animals do not stockpile food.

Marmot Reproduction

Female marmot with cub Marmots begin to mate in burrows, before mass emergence to the surface of the earth after hibernation ends. The female can bring 4-5 cubs, which after 3 weeks of feeding with milk begin to appear on the surface. By this time, the wintering families are observed to disintegrate, and the animals settle into numerous summer burrows, without leaving the family area. Dispersing marmots can temporarily spend the night in uninhabited burrows, clearing them and gradually losing contact with the common wintering burrow. As a rule, more than half of all marmots brought by the female die in the first months of life. Young animals are easy prey for foxes, corsacs, ferrets and eagles.

Late onset of sexual maturity, high yield of females, of which more than half are total number and the large loss of young animals explain the very low ability of rodents to restore their numbers during overhunting.

The activity and mobility of marmots varies greatly in different months. Marmots are most active after hibernation ends and before the young emerge. Then the activity of adult animals subsides and by the time they hibernate, due to increased fatness, it decreases several times. The low mobility and attraction of the animals to their burrows makes fishing on them difficult at this time. But even during periods of intense life activity, marmots spend almost more than 4 hours a day outside the burrow. Observations show that a week before hibernation, marmots block all the entrances to the hole, leaving only one. To do this, they push their muzzle into the hole of the hole. large stones, cover them with earth and manure, then compact everything tightly. Such plugs can be up to 1.5-2 meters thick.

Care and maintenance

At home, marmots are most often kept in a cage when the owner is away and allowed to roam freely when the owners are at home. If a groundhog is left unattended, it can cause complete destruction in a room or apartment simply out of boredom. Minimum size cages for temporary keeping of animals 78cm x 54cm x 62cm. The cage must have a strong bolt that the nimble fingers of these creatures cannot open. The cage must be equipped with heavy food bowls, a drinking bowl and a tray filled with sawdust. With regular cleaning and disinfection of the cage and cleaning the tray twice a day, there is no smell from the marmots.

Marmots don't tolerate it well high temperature, high humidity and direct sunlight. If the animal is constantly kept in a cage, then it should be placed in a place where the pet will be comfortable.

If a rodent moves freely around the apartment, then it is necessary to hide electrical and telephone cables in special boxes, put everything that could be harmful to them out of reach, and carefully monitor the animal. Marmots jumping from a sofa, armchair or chair usually end in broken limbs. For these rodents, hibernation is very important; it is not without reason that the saying “Sleeps like a groundhog” arose. In a warm room, animals can be active all year round, which greatly shortens their life. Without hibernation, marmots live no more than three years. Long sleep is a physiological need of the groundhog. Marmots go to bed when the ambient temperature drops to 3°C, gaining 800-1200 g of fat before hibernation, which amounts to 20-25% of the animal’s mass. 2-3 weeks before the start of hibernation, the animals become sleepy, begin to eat little, gradually emptying their stomach and bladder. Then they are transferred to a glazed balcony, loggia or other unheated room in a pre-prepared wooden house with a hinged lid measuring 60cm x 60cm x 60cm and filled 2/3 with hay. The inside of the box is covered with mesh to protect wooden walls from those who like to chew. At first, the animals can be released from the house through the side door if they want to eat or relieve themselves. Gradually the need for this disappears. It is important to provide enough cold temperature to fall asleep, otherwise the animals will not be able to fall asleep for a long time, using up their fat reserves, and the body will not receive the necessary renewal. Full hibernation should last 3 months, after which the animals can be brought into the house.

Marmots really don't like to bathe and will bite and scratch while bathing. If the groundhog gets dirty while eating, and this happens often, you should quickly wash off the remaining food under running water.

Groundhog's enemies

Marmots can whistle, squeal, and when in danger they run into a hole, reaching a running speed of up to 16 km/h. In quiet mode, the groundhog's movement speed is about 3 km/h. If it was not possible to hide, then it boldly enters into battle with the enemy - they bite and scratch. Wolves, foxes, coyotes, and bears are the groundhog's main enemies. Large snakes and predator birds attack young individuals.

1. In the United States, the groundhog has many other names and nicknames that refer to this rodent. He is called the chick, ground pig, whistling pig, whistler, tree chick, tree shock, Canadian marmot and red monk.
2. In the USA and Canada, the groundhog is one of the most common animals. These rodents can be found from as far north as Alaska to as far south as Georgia.
3. According to legends, if it is cloudy outside on Groundhog Day, the animal comes out of its hole without fear, and this means that spring will come earlier. If on this day the weather is sunny, and the groundhog sees his shadow on the ground, he may hurry back to the hole out of fear. This means that winter will linger for another 6 weeks.
4. The marmot usually grows to 40-65 cm in length, including the tail, and weighs between 2 and 4 kg. But in natural areas, where there are fewer predators and more food, they can grow up to 80 cm and weigh up to 14 kg.
5. Woodchucks are often hunted with guns, but they are also a favorite prey of wolves, cougars, coyotes, foxes, bears, eagles and dogs. However, the excellent reproductive ability of marmots helps this species well. That is why they are numerous, despite the huge number of threats.

Video

Sources

https://simple-fauna.ru/wild-animals/surki/ http://animalsglobe.ru/surki/ https://www.manorama.ru/article/surki.html https://animalreader.ru/zhivotnoe -surok.html#i-2 https://o-prirode.ru/surok/#i-2

Marmots are the most interesting burrow inhabitants, with their own way of life, food priorities, habits and behavior. Their migration, contrary to the general trend, was from America to Asia, and not vice versa, like many other representatives of the fauna. Now marmots can be found almost in Tibet itself.

Description of marmots

Externally, marmots look like squat, densely built animals.. They have light lips and a dark tail tip. They reach a length of 49 to 58 centimeters (representatives of the steppe variety). They have a uniform color of fur, except for the head, top part which is a little darker than everything else. The color is predominantly yellowish-sandy with black ripples on the back. The tail is from 12 to 22 centimeters in length. Ears and paws are short. Marmots are the most active rodents. They hibernate during the winter.

Types of marmots

There are over 15 known species of marmots that live in Russia. The most common of them:

• black-capped marmot (or Kamchatka) - Marmota camtschatica, tail up to 13 centimeters long, body up to 45 centimeters;
• Menzbier's marmot - Marmota menzbieri, tail up to 12 centimeters long, body up to 47 centimeters;
• Tarbagan (or Mongolian) marmot – Marmota sibirica, tail up to 10 centimeters long, body up to 56 centimeters;
• gray marmot (or Altai) – Marmota baibacina, body up to 65 centimeters long;
• bobak (or steppe) marmot – Marmota bobak, body up to 58 centimeters long;
• long-tailed marmot (or red) - Marmota caudata, tail up to 22 centimeters long, body up to 57 centimeters.

The steppe marmot has two subspecies - the European marmot and the Kazakh marmot, while the black-capped marmot has three - the Kamchatka marmot, the Yakut marmot and the Barguzin marmot.

Marmot habitats

The distribution range of marmots covers the mountainous, highland and lowland zones of Eurasia and, what is most interesting, the groundhog came from America to Asia, and not vice versa, like other representatives of the animal world. Today they live over a large territory, ranging from Ukraine to Central Asia. Most often they can be found in Russia, the Himalayas, the Pamirs, Brazil, the Tien Shan, Europe (Central and Western), Asia and, as some believe, even in Tibet. In Russia, marmots are most common in Lake Baikal, Kamchatka, Southern Urals and in the Urals, in the Irtysh zone, in the Middle Volga region and on the Don.

Where do marmots live?

As the main habitats, marmots choose those areas that are most suitable for them, depending on their variety:

• lowland (which includes, for example, steppe marmots) prefer wet virgin steppes, meadows where there is no first-time livestock grazing and there is a thick loose soil layer of at least 1 m;
• alpine ones (represented, for example, by long-tailed marmots) inhabit the crevices between boulders.

But anyway marmots' homes are deep burrows. Each individual marmot family occupies its own home, despite the fact that they are colonial animals. Sometimes for each family there is not one, but several groups of burrows: in some they feed, in others they live, in others they winter and nurse their young.

A marmot's burrow usually goes up to four meters deep and is equipped with several entrances/exits for increased security. Often their number reaches ten. However, it is quite simple to determine the central entrance to the marmot’s home, taking as a landmark an earthen hill located in its immediate vicinity. Due to the fact that the soil on marmots is a little different, there is even a certain climate there: soils enriched with minerals and nitrogen give rise to high growths of cruciferous plants, cereals and wormwood near the burrows, which are used by marmots as personal “vegetable gardens”.

But in addition to the main habitats where marmots spend most During their lives, these animals also have so-called “shelter holes”, which are smaller in size (they reach only a meter or two). There they hide in case of danger.

What do marmots eat?

Marmots are vegetarians, so their diet is based on herbs.: cereals (including grains and seeds), soft and succulent plant foods (tops of stems, leaves), plant bulbs, inflorescences, fruits (including unripe ones). Marmots are not indifferent to nuts, apples, sunflower seeds, oatmeal, wheat and rye grains - especially in the stage of waxy and milky ripeness, fruits, vegetables, alfalfa, plantain, fireweed, dandelion. However, marmots can eat not only fresh grass, but also dry grass (in the form of hay). But, contrary to the prevailing stereotype, they do not stock up for the winter.

Habits of marmots

The basic unit of the marmot population is the family. Usually it consists of closely related representatives and individuals that winter together (fingerlings are no exception). Each marmot family has its own area and is part of a large colony. Depending on the habitat zone, the family territory of marmots can reach 4.5 hectares, ranging from 0.5-4.5 hectares.

Specifically in the area, the home of marmots can be easily recognized by individual burrows with a numerous number of passages or by a cluster of burrows with large butanes. All marmot holes have their own purpose. Thus, nesting, inhabited, dining and even latrine burrows are distinguished. Inhabited ones are distinguished by the presence of well-rolled passages and areas in front of the entrances. Latrines are located in recesses on the surface of the colonies and serve to collect garbage and droppings pulled out by the animals after cleaning their homes.

Lowland varieties of marmots are characterized by focal-mosaic settlements, while high-mountain (hilly) varieties are characterized by focal-ribbon settlements. The density and number of families in each zone is its own - based on the capacity of a particular habitat, that is, the ability of marmots to lead a normal life and activity, which includes rest, reproduction, nutrition, safety, which do not negatively affect the quantity and quality of natural land parameters.

Marmots also prefer the presence of a two- to five-meter layer of fine-earth soil. They need it to dig deep nesting and protective holes that would not be flooded by groundwater in the spring and would not freeze in the winter. winter time. In general, marmots like to use the same dwellings for a very long period, which is why marmots appear over them over time - high hills, reaching 1 meter.

Hibernation of marmots

Marmots spend the coldest time of the year hibernating., lasting several months: it covers part of autumn (September-October), all winter and the first month of spring. But young individuals emerge from their burrows even later – at the very beginning of summer. Before falling into deep sleep, marmots feed heavily, gaining weight and doubling their body weight in just three months. Hibernation is carried out in a hole with dense bedding, a ceiling height of up to 70 centimeters and a diameter of up to 1.5 meters. They usually nest in families, making groups of 12-15 animals. During the entire cold season, while marmots are hibernating, their burrows are closed with dense earthen “plugs” several meters thick.

Marmots are mammals that belong to the order of rodents of the squirrel family. This genus includes about 15 species of fairly large animals that live in burrows in open landscapes.

The smallest species (Menzbier's marmot, wood marmot) weigh at least 2-3 kg, their body length is 35-40 cm, the largest (steppe, Himalayan marmots) reach 8-10 kg in weight and 65-70 cm in length. The physique of marmots resembles squirrels and gophers. Their body is ridged and their legs are short. The head is flattened, the eyes are widely spaced, sometimes slightly slanted. The nose is large. The ears are short and round in shape. The tail is short and rounded. The fur is thick and long, with sparse guard hairs and soft undercoat. The color is plain or with a contrasting belly, cheeks and head. The coat ranges from yellowish-gray, silver-gray, brown, reddish-red to black.

What does it eat?

Marmots are herbivores and feed on green parts of plants. They look for food both on the ground and in trees. The composition of feed varies with seasons and habitats of species.

The diet of marmots includes leaves and flowers, forbs, and grain crops. Sometimes marmots eat snails, beetles, and grasshoppers. In early spring they feed on the bark, buds and shoots of apple, dogwood, bird cherry, peach, and red mulberry. Their favorite food is alfalfa and clover. Marmots also eat garden crops such as peas and beans. The diet in captivity consists of wild lettuce, clover, bluegrass and sweet clover. An adult marmot eats about 700 g of food per day. These animals do not stockpile food.

Where do they live?

The homeland of marmots is North America, from where they spread to Asia and Europe. According to their habitats, they distinguish between lowland marmots (baibaks) and mountain marmots, which live in the Alpine mountains.

Species of marmots have settled in different geographical areas, and differ in the characteristics of their behavior, but retain external resemblance and the habit of hibernating.

Common types of marmot

The body length reaches 65 cm, the tail is about 13 cm long. Outwardly it resembles the boibak and tarbagan, but its fur is longer and softer, colored sandy-yellow, with black-brown hairs on the back, the belly is dark, reddish, and the head is dark "cap". The tail is colored on top in the same way as the back, and dark on the bottom.

The species is found in the Tien Shan and Altai mountains.

Body length from 50 to 70 cm, Weight Limit reaches 10 kg. The body is thick, the legs are short and strong with large claws. The head is large, flat, and the neck is short. The tail is short. The color is sandy yellow. The guard hairs have dark tips, which makes the back appear covered with dark brown or black ripples. The cheeks are light reddish in color, with brown or black streaks under the eyes. The belly is darker and redder towards the sides, the tip of the tail is dark brown. Molting occurs once a year.

Previously, boibak was found widely in the steppe and forest-steppe zones from Hungary to the Irtysh, but due to the plowing of virgin lands it disappeared almost everywhere, only populations survived on the Don, in the Middle Volga region, the southern Urals, in eastern Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

A large marmot with short legs and a wide head. The body length is 62-82 cm, with a tail length of 17 to 25 cm. Males are larger than females. Weight throughout the year ranges from 3.75 kg in May to 7 kg in September. The fur on the back and shoulders is silver-gray. The head is black on top with a white spot on the muzzle, on the chin and a white stripe around the lips. The legs are black below, occasionally with white spots. The belly is gray. The tail is long and covered with thick fur.

It lives in Canada and the USA, where it is found in treeless alpine meadows.

There are three subspecies: North Baikal, Leno-Kolyma and Kamchatka. Outwardly, they are similar to the Mongolian marmot tarbagan. They got their name because of their uniform brown color with a dark spot on the head, which from a distance looks like a cap.

The habitat includes Eastern and Northwestern Siberia.

The body length of males is from 49 to 70 cm, in females from 47 to 67 cm. The weight of males is 3-5 kg, females 1.5-4 kg. The fur is gray-brown on the back and yellow-brown on the belly.

The species is distributed in the western USA and Canada, in the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains, at altitudes up to 2,000 m.

It is dark chocolate brown with bright yellow spots on the face and chest.

It is found in the Deosai plains of Pakistan and Ladakh in Kashmir, at altitudes up to 3000 m.

The body length is 40-50 cm, the tail length is 10-20 cm. Weight is about 3 kg. Males are usually larger than females. The head is blackish-gray, the muzzle is light. The ears are small and pubescent. The back is gray, light brown or red, the belly is yellowish.

The species lives in the Alps, Carpathians and High Tatras, on rocky slopes at altitudes from 600 to 3200 m.

Most small view. Body length is 40-45 cm, average weight reaches 2.5 kg. The distribution area is the western Tien Shan.

Body length is from 42 to 67 cm, weight is 3-5 kg. Males are larger than females. The body is dense, the legs are short and strong. The tail is short, flat, bushy, black or dark brown. The ears are small and round in shape. The color is reddish or reddish-brown with a gray coating. There is a white spot near the nose. The belly is light. Paws are black.

A widespread species in the northeast and central states of the United States, central Alaska, and the Labrador Peninsula.

Body length is about 60 cm. The species lives in Russia (in the steppes of Transbaikalia and Tuva), Mongolia (except for the southern regions), and in northeast China.

A large species, the body weight of which reaches 7 kg.

Endemic to the Olympic Mountains, located in western Washington state in the northwestern United States.

Body length is 68-70 cm. Weight varies throughout the year from 3-3.5 kg to 5-6 kg. The fur also changes color with the seasons. At the beginning of summer it is brown, in July it molts and becomes black with white stripes.

Endemic to Vancouver Island in Canada, where it lives in mountains about 1.5 km high. An endangered species.

Marmots are practically not characterized by sexual dimorphism. Males of some species are larger than females.

Marmots build burrows in dry areas that are well heated by the sun. Winter minks are found in forests, summer ones - in open, flat areas, for example, in fields. Groundhog burrows have from 1 to 11 exits. The total length of the tunnels reaches 15 m. In a permanent burrow, the tunnels lead to the nesting chamber, which is lined with dry leaves and grass. Marmots also build special toilet chambers.

Marmots lead single sedentary image life, only during the breeding season they live in pairs or groups. The period of activity of the groundhog is day, occasionally twilight and night.

By autumn, marmots eat off and accumulate fat. To hibernate, they migrate to wooded areas. Hibernation lasts from October to March-April. During thaws they may wake up briefly. During hibernation, metabolic processes decrease, the number of heartbeats is 10-15 beats per minute, body temperature is about 8 ° C, and the breathing rate decreases.

Marmots communicate with each other using a characteristic piercing whistle, heard at a distance of 200-300 m. While on the surface of the earth, they take a posture in a column. When threatened, they hide in a hole and move at speeds of up to 3 km/h.

Males emerge from hibernation first, and from the beginning of March to the end of April they search for females and engage in skirmishes with each other. Pregnancy lasts 31-32 days. The female brings from 2 to 7 cubs once a year. Babies are born in April-May, hairless, deaf and blind, with a body weight of about 27 g and a length of up to 10 cm. In the second week of life, short black hair appears on the body. Milk feeding lasts about 44 days. Males do not breed offspring. At the age of 6-7 weeks, young marmots begin to disperse. They reach sexual maturity after the first hibernation.

The life expectancy of marmots in the wild is 4-6 years, in captivity up to 10 years.

Natural enemies

Marmots are hunted by wolves, pumas, lynxes, bears, mustelids, large birds of prey and snakes. In agricultural areas large predators are rare, and the main enemies of marmots are foxes, coyotes and dogs.

Marmot holes become a haven for many species of animals, snakes and birds; they are occupied by otters, chipmunks, gray voles, shrews, house mice, jerboas and white-footed hamsters. A rabbit, opossum, raccoon and skunk can easily spend the winter in the same burrow as a sleeping groundhog. Foxes also dig up and occupy marmot burrows.

• In the United States, Alaska has celebrated Groundhog Day on February 2 since 1886. On this day, according to the behavior of the groundhog, the duration of winter and the proximity of the arrival of spring are determined.
• Monuments to the marmot were erected in Angarsk, Aznakaevo and Karaganda.
• The Mongolian marmot is a carrier of the plague pathogen. In ancient times, it was consumed as food by the nomadic peoples of Central Asia, the Huns and the Mongols.