Marmota broweri Hall & Gilmore 1934

251.

Alaska Marmot

Marmota broweri

French: Marmotte d/Alaska / German: Alaska-Murmeltier / Spanish: Marmota de Alaska

Taxonomy. Marmota caligata broweri Hall & Gilmore, 1934,

“Point Lay, Arctic Coast of Alaska,”

USA. This species is monotypic.

Distribution. N Alaska, in the Brooks Range from Chukchi Sea coast to the Alaska-Yukon border in Canada.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 580-650 mm (males) and 540-600 mm (females), tail 150-180 mm (males) and 130-160 mm (females); 3-4 kg (males) and 2.5-3.5 kg (females). The Alaska Marmot has gray to charcoal dorsal pelage, suffused with cinnamon, especially at hips. Head is uniform dark brown or charcoal; tail is brown to gray. Venter is gray to charcoal.

Habitat. Open alpine tundra associated with talus slopes and rocky outcroppings.

Food and Feeding. The Alaska Marmotis an herbivore that feeds primarily on young grasses, shoots of forbs, bulbs, lichens, mosses, and other herbaceous material in alpine tundra.

Breeding. Alaska Marmotslive in burrows where young are born. They mate soon after spring emergence. Litters of 4-5 are born in late spring or early summer.

Activity patterns. Alaska Marmots are diurnal. They are only active for 4-6 months each summer and hibernate within burrows for the remaining 6-8 months of the year.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Burrows appear to be relatively simple with multiple entrances. Alaska Marmots live in interactive family groups. They are highly amicable, and new individuals face considerable aggression and chases. Highpitched whistle is produced in response to potential predators.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Population trend of the Alaska Marmotis stable. Lack of knowledge about natural history might impede conservation and management.

Bibliography. Armitage (2013a, 2014), Bee & Hall (1956), Gunderson, Jacobsen & Olson (2009), Gunderson, Lanier & Olson (2012), Lee et al. (2016), Mateju & Kratochvil (2013), Thorington et al. (2012).