The Vancouver Island marmot (Marmota vancouverensis ) naturally occurs only in the high mountains of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia. This particular marmot species is large compared to some other marmots, and most other rodents. Marmots as a group are the largest members of the squirrel family, with weights of adults varying from 3 to 7 kg depending on age and time of year.
Although endemic to Vancouver Island, Marmota vancouverensis now also resides successfully at several captive breeding centres across Canada as well as several sites on Vancouver Island at which local extinction was observed during the 1990s. This is the result of an ongoing recovery program designed to prevent extinction and restore self-sustaining wild populations of this unique Canadian species. Due to the efforts of the recovery program, the marmot count in the wild increased from fewer than 30 wild marmots in 2003, to an estimated 250–300 in 2015.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GraminivoreIn zoology, a graminivore (not to be confused with a granivore) is an herbivorous animal that feeds primarily on grass. Graminivory is a form of g...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
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Island endemicIsland endemic animals are found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island. Animals or organisms that are indigenous to a place ar...
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PollinatorA pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilizat...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Vancouver Island marmot is a large member of the squirrel family. It can be easily distinguished from other marmots by its rich, chocolate brown fur and contrasting white patches. No other marmot species naturally occurs on Vancouver Island.
These animals can be found only in the high mountains of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia. They inhabit subalpine meadows with steep slopes, coniferous forests, road banks, and meadows created by ski runs.
Vancouver Island marmots live in small family colonies in underground burrows. They are territorial and mark their territories with scent glands on their cheeks. These animals are active during the day spending their time foraging, playing, and communicating with conspecifics, sunning on rocks, and resting in burrows. Depending upon site characteristics and annual weather conditions, marmots hibernate for various amounts of time. Wild Vancouver Island marmots hibernate, on average, for about 210 days of the year, generally from late September or early October until late April or early May.
Vancouver Island marmots are herbivores (graminivores, folivores) eating over 30 species of food plants. They typically shift from grasses in the early spring to plants such as lupines in late summer.
Vancouver Island marmots are generally monogamous breeders and form pair bonds that last for many years. They breed soon after emergence from hibernation. The gestation period lasts approximately 30-35 days. Females give birth to litters of 3-4 blind and helpless pups. The young are usually weaned and emerge above ground for the first time in early July. They typically first breed at 3 or 4 years of age, although some have been observed to breed as two-year-olds.
The endangered Vancouver Island marmot remains one of the world's rarest mammals. The causes of this species' population decline are numerous. Over the long term, climate changes have caused both increases and declines of open alpine habitat that constitute suitable marmot habitat. Habitat loss due to clear-cutting of forests is another serious threat to Vancouver Island marmots as well as an increase in predation by Golden eagles, cougars and wolves.
According to Wikipedia resource, the total wild population size of the Vancouver Island marmot was counted at 250 individuals in 2021. Currently, this species is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...