When I first heard the name marmot, I thought they were just an outdoor clothing company.  But marmots are these cute little animals that like living in the mountains.

These days, the marmots of Vancouver Island are being endangered due mainly to clear cut logging.  The Marmot Recovery Foundation is set up to help preserve and protect these cute little creatures.

Vancouver Island marmot peeking out between the rocks.  Photo from the Marmot Recovery Foundation.

Marmots are generally found living high up in the mountains.  And they are scattered between North America to Europe.

The name marmot originated from the old French and Latin “marmotte” meaning mountain mouse.  They are part of the squirrel family and related to the goundhog too.   Marmots typically live in burrows, and hibernate there through the winter. They are highly social animals.

Here is a little bit of information on why they are endangered in Vancouver Island.

The most important effect of forestry was to concentrate the population, thereby increasing the risk of mortality from predation and jeopardizing the metapopulation model the Vancouver Island marmots had relied upon for millennia.

When clearcut logging reached higher elevations surrounding marmot colonies, the marmot population experienced a short-term gain as marmots colonized the newly created habitat. (To a dispersing marmot, recently cut forests at higher elevations resembled natural habitat. There are large openings, flowers to eat, deep soil to dig, and good visibility.)

Survival in the clear cut colonies was compromised by regrowth of trees and other vegetation, which provided cover for predators.

Some fun facts about the Vancouver Island marmots:

1.) Marmots live in underground burrows.

2.) Marmots collect dry moss and grasses to pile up inside their burrows and use as bedding.

3.) At our captive breeding centers, nest boxes filled with straw, mimic the sleeping chambers in the wild marmots’ burrows.

4.) Four captive breeding centers currently house Vancouver Island marmots and their offspring.

5.) Vancouver Island marmots live very high up in small mountain meadows.

You can do your part to help by visiting The Marmot Foundation.  Maybe get a little plush doll like these little guys .  I think my little cousins would love them.

This cute guy is really enjoying the sun in the fresh mountain air.Yellow-bellied Marmot in Yosemite National Park.   Photo from Wikipedia.