Marmots belong to the family Sciuridae, which also includes the squirrels, chipmunks and prairie dogs. Marmots are the largest member of this family (Marmota) which includes the Woodchuck. Marmots are burrowers and are vegetarians. Most of them hibernate. Some are very social and others are not.
There are a number of species in North America, including
the Alaska Marmot, the Hoary Marmot, the Yellow-bellied Marmot, the Woodchuck, the Olympic Marmot and the Vancouver Marmot. The plush toy that we have here at Jeannie's Cottage represents the Vancouver Marmot, which is endangered. The marmot pictured at left is a Hoary Marmot.
The Vancouver Marmot (Marmota vancouverensis) is dark brown with white fur around the nose and a white belly. It has a bushy tail and small ears. The males are usually larger than the females. They are usually from 26 to 27 inches long. This is the only marmot found on Vancouver Island.
Female marmots begin reproducing at age 3 and from then on reproduce every other year. The litter size is generally 3 young and the gestation period is about one month.
The Vancouver Marmot is colonial and the group's size is about 7 or 8 members. They hibernate about 7 to 8 months out of the year.
The marmots shown at top include the Vancouver Marmot plush toy from the Stuffed Animal House, the marmot made by Hansa plush and the yellow-bellied marmot made by Wild Republic. Check the Gift Shop to see if there are any marmots in stock.
Other animals that you can find in the forest are:
Aardvark | Anteater | Armadillo | Badgers | Bat | Beaver | Bears | Bighorn | Boar | Bobcat | Chipmunk | Cougar | Deer | Elk | Ferret | Fox | Groundhog | Hedgehog | Kangaroo Rat | Lynx | Marmot | Moose | Mouse | Opossum | Porcupine | Potbelly Pig | Rabbit | Raccoon | Reindeer | Squirrel | Sloth | Skunk | Tapir | Tarsier | Weasel | Wolf | Wolverine
