Vancouver Island Marmot
Marmota vancouverensis
Weight: About
3kg in May, 6.5kg in September. Males are heavier than females.
Habitat: Prefers
sub-alpine open areas that provide good soil for burrowing, plentiful herbs
and forbs to eat, and suitable rocks for lookout spots.
Age to Maturity: 4 years.
Gestation Period: About 30 days.
Birth Season: Pups are born in late May or early June (and emerge from
their burrows about a month later).
Birth Rate: Litters of 3-4 per year were most common.
Maximum Age: At least 10 years.
Diet: It
is a herbivore. Its preferred food is comprised of
the flowering parts of a wide variety of alpine plants.
Threats: Tree
encroachment limits the Vancouver Island marmot, and natural
succession since the most recent glacial period provides a fundamental
explanation for its overall scarcity.
