Grey Marmot (Marmota baibacina) lives in alpine mountain meadows across Central Asian mountains. It feeds on grass and plants. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Grey Marmot
- Gray marmots construct deep winter burrows that can reach five to seven metres below the surface, creating a subterranean network that sometimes stretches as far as sixty-three metres. These extensive tunnels allow a group of ten or more individuals to share the same passage, which conserves heat and reduces the energy each animal needs to stay warm.
- Each year the gray marmot spends between seven and eight months in hibernation, beginning in the autumn and remaining underground until May. The exact start of hibernation varies, occurring between August and October depending on the population's location, and marmots living at lower elevations or on south-facing slopes tend to emerge earlier. This seasonal dormancy aligns with the period of heavy snowfall that limits food availability in their mountainous habitats.
- Gray marmots normally weigh between four and 6.5 kg, and some individuals approach eight kilograms just before hibernation. Their body mass fluctuates with the seasons, growing in the summer and early autumn to build fat reserves, then dropping by up to thirty percent during the long hibernation period.
- Where its range meets that of the Tarbagan marmot, direct competition forces the gray marmot into higher ground. In the Altai mountains of western Mongolia the two species' ranges overlap, but the gray marmot is pushed to elevations above 3,000 m where scattered boulders and rocks dominate the terrain. This habitat preference limits it to well-drained slopes with suitable soil for burrowing, matching its overall distribution in mountainous meadows and steppes.
- Fossils of the gray marmot have been recovered from Denisova Cave.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeCentral Asian mountains
HabitatAlpine mountain meadows
DietGrass and plants
About the Grey Marmot
In the rugged expanse of the mountainous steppes, the grey marmot emerges as a charismatic sentinel, its tawny fur glistening like the sun-kissed rocks that dot the landscape. With a languid ease, it moves through its domain, its stout body undulating as it navigates the rocky outcroppings and tussocks of grass, ever vigilant for the telltale shadow of a predator. As it stands upright, surveying its kingdom with an air of quiet confidence, the grey marmot embodies the unyielding spirit of the wild, a testament to the enduring power of life in this harsh yet beautiful landscape.
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