Marmot
[ Marmota marmota ]
Curiosity
The cry and not the whistle.
In the past it was mistakenly believed that it was a real whistle, but in truth it is a cry of laryngeal origin that is emitted with the mouth open. There are also different types of signal, for example: a single whistle indicates a threat coming from above, (immediate danger) which could be a winged predator (eagle); a series of whistles signal a danger coming from the ground, (non-immediate danger) such as a fox, a dog or a man. The signals are audible up to a kilometer as the crow flies.
Description
Anatomy: Large rodent with a small head and fairly large eyes. Small semicircular ears and long vibrissae (hairs on the muzzle) that have a sensory function. It is a plantigrade with sturdy legs and long claws. Between the snout and the eye there are particular facial glands whose secretion is used for individual recognition and territorial marking.
Teeth: The incisors are very evident due to their remarkable development. They are rootless and therefore continuously growing; the animal wears them down daily while chewing food.
Coat: The coat has a gray-brown to reddish color. The back is darker than the sides, while the chest and the tip of the tail are black.
Habitat /
Habits
Habitat: The marmot lives in the mountains, beyond 1000 m above sea level up to the limits of the permanent snow;
it prefers steep and sunny slopes, devoid of arboreal vegetation, rocky areas and alpine meadows.
Habits: Typically diurnal and very fond of the sun, it usually takes the typical «belly-down» pose on a rock.
Reproduction
Species: Monogamous
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Reproductive period: March – April
Gestation: 33 – 34 days (about a month)
Births: June
Number of cubs: 2 – 5
Diet
Herbivorous
It feeds mainly on grasses, roots and seeds that allow it to accumulate fat during the summer, which will be consumed during the winter hibernation. Since they are not ruminants, they must select the type of food according to its digestibility: this is why they prefer the most tender plant parts and especially the flowers.
