Whistle-Pig

Day 338: If ever a critter could be said to be iconic of a National Park, the Hoary Marmot would surely take first prize at Mount Rainier. You cannot hike alongside a talus slope or through a boulder field without seeing marmots perched on rocks, often sitting bolt-upright on their haunches. You'll hear them as well, giving the high-pitched, double-toned pipe which supplies their nickname, "whistle-pig." Able to dart away in less time than it takes to say "Wauhaukaupauken Falls," marmots often allow hikers to come within a few feet of their resting places, but please, don't approach the wildlife. They have long, sharp teeth and needle-like claws and, like other members of the squirrel family, are not as cute and cuddly as people might like to believe.

A mature Hoary Marmot may weigh up to 25 pounds. Some larger individuals have been reported. Unlike Pikas (another denizen of talus fields), marmots "bulk up" through the summer in order to hibernate through the winter months when their normal forage is covered by snow. Young are born in the spring. The photo, taken above Summerland in Mount Rainier National Park, shows a first-year juvenile.