Rodent in the squirrel family from the U.S. state of Washington
Olympic marmot
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Order:
Rodentia
Family:
Sciuridae
Genus:
Marmota
Subgenus:
Marmota (Petromarmota)
Species:
M. olympus
Binomial name
Marmota olympus
(Merriam, 1898)
Range
Synonyms[2]
Arctomys olympus Merriam, 1898
The Olympic marmot (Marmota olympus) is a rodent in the squirrel family, Sciuridae; it occurs only in the U.S. state of Washington, on the middle elevations of the Olympic Peninsula. The closest relatives of this species are the hoary marmot and the Vancouver Island marmot. In 2009, it was declared the official endemic mammal of Washington.
This marmot is about the size of a domestic cat, typically weighing about 8 kg (18 lb) in summer. The species shows the greatest sexual dimorphism found in marmots, with adult males weighing on average 23% more than females. It can be identified by a wide head, small eyes and ears, stubby legs, and a long, bushy tail. Its sharp, rounded claws aid in digging burrows. The coat color changes with the season and with age, but an adult marmot's coat is brown all over with small whiter areas for most of the year.
The species has a diet consisting mainly of a variety of meadow flora, including dry grasses, which it also uses as bedding in burrows. It is preyed on by various terrestrial mammals and avian raptors, but its main predator today is the coyote, however the complex system of communication through whistling means most marmots remain safe for their entire life.[3][4] The Olympic marmot is rated a species of the least concern on the IUCN Red List. It is protected by law in the Olympic National Park, which contains most of its habitat.
The burrows of this marmot are made in colonies, which are found in various mountain locations and differ in size. A colony may contain as few as one marmot family or multiple families with up to 40 marmots. Olympic marmots are very sociable animals which often engage in play fighting and vocalize four different whistles to communicate. During hibernation beginning in September, they are in a deep sleep and do not eat, causing them to lose half their body mass. Adults emerge in May and their young in June. Female marmots reach sexual maturity at three years of age, and produce litters of 1–6 every other mating season.
^Cassola, F. (2016). "Marmota olympus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T42459A22257452. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T42459A22257452.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
^Cite error: The named reference Edelman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Barash, David Philip (January 1, 1973). "The Social Biology of the Olympic Marmot". Animal Behaviour Monographs. 6: 171–245. doi:10.1016/0003-3472(73)90002-X – via ScienceDirect.
^Blumstein, Daniel T. (January 1, 2007). Advances in the Study of Behavior. Vol. 37. Academic Press. pp. 371–401. doi:10.1016/S0065-3454(07)37008-3. ISBN 9780120045372 – via ScienceDirect.
The Olympicmarmot (Marmota olympus) is a rodent in the squirrel family, Sciuridae; it occurs only in the U.S. state of Washington, on the middle elevations...
appears to be the Alaska marmot and the largest is the Olympicmarmot. Some species, such as the Himalayan marmot and Tarbagan marmot in Asia, appear to attain...
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animal species (like the OlympicMarmot, Piper's bellflower and Flett's violet). The southwestern coastline of the Olympic Peninsula is also the northernmost...
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