VANCOUVER ISLAND MARMOT
Marmota vancouverensis
Original range | Current range | Estimated population | Threats to survival | Species recovery | Species recovery | Partners and links
Description:
This small, furry mammal lives in underground burrows and feeds on a variety of plants, including grasses, sedges and lupines. It is chocolate brown with a white patch on its muzzle, a black patch on its rump, and white spots on its belly. Males are typically 63 to 71 cm long and weigh an average of 3.5 kg.
Marmots are found in colonies in alpine and sub-alpine areas with steep slopes, meadows and rocky debris. Each colony usually consists of one adult male, one or more adult females, and a number of young marmots. They construct burrows where they hibernate during the winter, hide from predators and bear their young.
Mating usually occurs in May. Females breed every other year, usually beginning at the age of four. The young marmots are born in June, with three to five in a litter. Once they are two years old, they disperse to other colonies or form their own.
Original range: The Vancouver Island marmot is unique to Vancouver Island, which lies just off the west coat of British Columbia.
Current range: Over the past few decades, the species has disappeared from about two thirds of its original range. It is now found in just 25 sites on 13 mountains.
Estimated population: The Vancouver Island marmot is one of the most endangered species in Canada, and the world's most endangered mammal. Although the population in the mid-80s was estimated to be over 300, currently there are less than 25 individuals in the wild.
Threats to survival: Forestry on Vancouver Island has concentrated marmot populations in a small area, making them more vulnerable to predators, disease, and changes in vegetation and climate.
Species recovery: WPC has been contributing to the Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Program since 2001. Former Canada's New Noah Diane Casimir is researching the reproductive behaviour of marmots in captivity, using above-ground nest boxes to mimic their burrows. Thanks to cameras in these nest boxes, Diane is identifying behaviour differences between animals that successfully produced pups and those that were unsuccessful.
The past few years have seen improved breeding results, and there are now 120-130 marmots in captivity in four Canadian facilities. In 2004, six captive bred marmots were released to the wild, and a dozen more will be released in 2005 Ð part of a breeding and reintroduction strategy that is critical to species recovery.
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