Marmots
Our cute Alpine inhabitants
Anyone who thinks marmots sleep continuously throughout the winter is mistaken. Here you'll learn many fascinating facts about our shy Alpine inhabitants.
A clear case of think again
If you spend a lot of time in the mountains, you have a good chance of spotting marmots . They're especially easy to observe in summer, when these cute alpine inhabitants rest on the rocks.
You think marmots like to sunbathe? You're wrong. Marmots seek cooling, not warmth, on rocks. And we often talk about the animals' shrill whistling. But no, the supposed whistling is actually a scream.
There's so much to tell about marmots. Read on 😊.
Origin and distribution
Originally native to the vast steppes, marmots colonized the mountains after the retreat of the Alpine glaciers. They followed the cold-resistant grasses and herbs up into the heights and found their suitable habitat above the tree line.
Fifteen species of marmots are distinguished. They all live in the Northern Hemisphere. The Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) is now widespread throughout the Alpine arc. After being largely exterminated in many places, marmots were reintroduced 150 years ago to the Pyrenees, the French Massif Central, the Apennines, the Vosges, the Swiss Jura, the Black Forest, the Slovenian Alps, the Romanian Carpathians, and the Tatra Mountains (Slovakia, Poland). Marmots prefer treeless grasslands or grasslands with few trees and bushes.
Where does the name come from
Murmeli, Mungg, Marmotte, Murmende, Murmetli, Mankei – the marmot has numerous names. Its origin lies in the Latin "Mus Montis" (mountain mouse). This is said to have evolved into "Murmont" in Romansh. In Old High German, it became "Murmenti," which is very close to the current name. "Marmot" in English and "Marmotte" in French are closely related. In hunting parlance, the male marmot is called "bear," the female "cat," and the young "monkey."
Profile
The Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) is the second largest rodent in the Alps after the beaver.
belongs to the squirrel family . In contrast to the tree squirrels (e.g. squirrels), the
Marmots and ground squirrels.
Marmots appear somewhat stocky and bulky. Marmots have a short, round head with small ears almost hidden in their fur and prominent whiskers. They have powerful limbs with blunt digging claws on their feet. The entire body is very agile. The outer enamel layer of their powerful incisors is brownish-orange.
The basic colors of the fur range from slate gray to reddish yellow. The top of the head is blackish, the muzzle is light, and the back is dark. Juveniles up to two years of age have less contrasting coloration.
Size and weight
Head-body length: 45 to 5 cm
Tail length: 14 to 2cm
Live weight: 2.5 to 5 kg
Due to hibernation, body weight is subject to strong seasonal fluctuations.
Marmots live up to 12 years . Aged animals almost always die in hibernation.
Marmots have excellent eyesight and a good sense of hearing . The use of scent tags to mark territory also demonstrates the importance of their sense of smell .
The family is the focus
Marmots have little chance of surviving alone in cold, snowy habitats. They cope much better in groups . Young animals, in particular, rely on their parents and siblings to survive their first winter. Young animals play and wrestle extensively.
Marmots spend a lot of time grooming each other ; they are used to close physical contact from their life in the burrow.
Families live in territories that are defended by the two highest-ranking individuals against adult intruders, if necessary to the death of the intruder. The costs of group living include the increased transmission of parasites and pathogens.
Reproduction
Marmots reach sexual maturity after approximately 2 to 3 years. Mating begins immediately after hibernation, between mid-April and mid-May depending on the weather. After 5 weeks, the female gives birth to 2 to 6 young. These are toothless and are nursed in the den. The young leave the den for the first time at around 40 days of age, usually in the first week of July. There is one dominant parent pair in the family, and this pair is almost the only one that reproduces. Other pregnant females are sometimes pursued and stressed for so long that they lose their fetuses. If this fails, the offspring of competing females may be killed.
The habitat
Marmots live in the belt between the tree line and the ice. They require open grasslands where it doesn't get too hot in summer. Marmots must also have the opportunity to build underground burrows. Where alpine farming declines, habitats increasingly become overgrown with bushes and forests. This results in the loss of open habitats and the disappearance of marmots. Grazing can greatly improve the quality of marmot habitat. Cow manure fertilizes and promotes the growth of herbaceous plants.
And one more thing: anyone who thinks marmots are sun worshippers who like to soak up the warmth on rocks is mistaken. Marmots can hardly shed heat; the rock serves as a cooling base. In midsummer, marmots also find cooling in their burrows.
Climate change threatens the marmot. As the tree line shifts upward, the vegetation also changes. Will the marmot still be able to find the right herbs for the necessary fat quality? A thick blanket of snow insulates the den. Will there be enough snow in the future? If not, will the temperature in the winter dens drop? Will the marmot once again find solutions to the changing habitat?
Food for the marmots
Marmots carefully select their food, which is reflected in the quality of their fat. In spring, they feed on roots and tubers. Later in the season, they prefer grasses, sprouts, leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruits. Their diet includes dozens of plant species. A high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids appears to be especially important.
An adult marmot consumes approximately 1 to 1.5 kilograms of plant matter per day.
Enemies and warning system
In addition to the harsh winter, golden eagles and red foxes are the main predators of the Alpine marmot. The marmot is the most important prey for the golden eagle. A pair of eagles can take up to 70 marmots per season. Free-roaming dogs and humans are also increasingly becoming nuisances in alpine habitats. When danger appears, an alarm sounds. Marmots have excellent eyesight. Everyone knows their shrill whistles, which sound like human finger whistles. In fact, they are screams produced in the larynx and emitted with the mouth open. And just like that, the marmots have disappeared into their burrows...
Hibernation
Wild animals have developed many different adaptations to cope with cold and hardship. Hibernation is an extreme, but also particularly effective, variant. It's a perfect adaptation to living conditions in the high mountains.
During hibernation, marmots' body temperature drops from 39 degrees Celsius to 3 to 5 degrees Celsius. Their heart rate drops to only five beats per minute, and their respiratory rate is one breath per minute. This reduces the animal's fat and oxygen consumption. Marmots hibernate in groups of up to 20 animals in hay-lined pits, curled up and huddled together. Every two weeks, the marmots awaken to empty their bladders in special latrine chambers.
Despite this economy, adult marmots lose half their body weight (from 5 to 2.5 kilograms) during hibernation. An internal clock awakens the marmots just in time for the mountain spring, even though it's neither brighter nor warmer underground.
Marmot burrow
It's hard to believe, but marmots spend 90 percent of their lives underground. The burrow provides shelter and protection , serves as a place for raising young, provides cooling on hot summer days, and is the place where this species spends about seven months of hibernation each year. The burrow is up to seven meters deep in places.
The depth has a reason: frost protection . Freezing to death during hibernation is a not uncommon cause of death. Marmots are unbeatable at underground construction. They dig with their front legs and sometimes loosen rocks with their teeth. Large, extensive, and widely branched structures are the work of generations. Many a mountain farmer can tell a story about the building skills of marmots, especially when they find a particularly dry, frost-proof home beneath the foundations of alpine huts. There is often a risk of collapse.