Marmota Caligata, Hoary Marmot

Day 302: The Hoary Marmot is one of more than a dozen species of Marmot which occur worldwide. Six species are known to occur in the US, narrowing down to three in Washington, one of which (Olympic Marmot, M. olympus) is endemic to the Olympic Peninsula and does not occur outside that range.

Visitors to Mount Rainier National Park may see either of the two remaining species, although Hoary Marmot (Marmota caligata, above) is the most common and may be found in the subalpine meadows around Paradise and Sunrise and up to 8200' in elevation. Yellow-bellied Marmot (M. flaviventris) is generally only found above 6500', and where the ranges of the two species overlap, they do not interbreed. Hoary Marmot is the larger of the two, sometimes attaining weights of 20 pounds or more as opposed to the smaller Yellow-bellied Marmot who tilts the scale at a mere 11 pounds as a full-grown adult. True to their common names, the Hoary Marmot's body fur is grizzled in colour, and the darker Yellow-bellied Marmot's golden yellow tummy will easily set it apart when it sits up on its haunches as Marmots often do. Both species' call is a shrill whistle. Marmots are vegetarian, and dine on a wide variety of forbs as they fatten themselves up for winter hibernation.