Olympic marmot
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Olympic marmot ( Marmota olympus ) |
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| ( Meeriam , 1898) |
The Olympic marmot ( Marmota olympus ) is a rodent belonging to the genus of the marmots . The species owes its name to its habitat, the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State .
description
The animals have a head body length of 46 to 53 centimeters, and a tail 18 to 25 centimeters long. The Olympic marmot has a stocky appearance with large shoulders and a broad head. The weight is between three and nine kilograms. The color of the fur changes from brown to yellow-brown in summer.
distribution
The Olympic marmot is native to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, USA. The animals live on alpine meadows and slopes and are close relatives of the ice gray marmot ( Marmota caligata ). The Olympic marmot is a protected species in Washington.
food
After the animals have awakened from hibernation , their food consists of roots until the new vegetation appears in spring. Then they feed on grasses , herbs and mosses and occasionally on insects .
Reproduction
The male usually lives with two females. After a gestation period of 30 to 32 days, the females give birth to four to five young. They stay with their families for at least two years. The boys reach sexual maturity in the third year.
literature
- Dmitri Iwanowitsch Bibikow : The marmots of the world. Marmota (= The New Brehm Library. Vol. 388). 2nd, completely revised and expanded edition. Westarp-Wissenschaften et al., Magdeburg et al. 1996, ISBN 3-89432-426-0 .
Web links
- Marmota olympus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: Linzey, AV & NatureServe (Hammerson, G.), 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2013.