mammal · GBIF taxon 2437374
Olympic Marmot
Marmota olympusAlso known as Olympic Peninsula Marmot
Olympic marmots are highly social rodents that live in close-knit family colonies throughout the alpine meadows of the Olympic Mountains. They spend up to eight months of the year hibernating in deep, communal burrows, emerging in spring to feast on fresh wildflowers and grasses. These vocal animals use a series of sharp, varied whistles to alert their colony to approaching threats.
SocialAlpineHibernating
- diet
- Herbivorous, feeding on grasses, sedges, wildflowers, mosses, and occasionally insects
- family
- Sciuridae
- threats
- Climate change reducing alpine habitat, coyote predation, and human disturbance
- life Span
- Typically 10 to 15 years in the wild
LC
Capable of a painful bite if cornered; observe from a respectful distance.
- Keep Distance: Maintain a distance of at least 15 meters to avoid disrupting their feeding and social behaviors.
- Listen for Whistles: Listen for their distinctive, high-pitched alarm calls, which signal a predator or human presence.
- Do Not Feed: Avoid offering food, as human snacks disrupt their natural diet and habituate them to people.