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Vancouver Marmots live only on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. They are the only endangered mammal in Canada, with a population estimated at only 100-200 individuals. Archaeological finds from sites 700-2,500 years old, and museum records, indicate that this species was once more widespread on the island. Why there are so few now is not known: long-term environmental change, hunting, and habitat degradation due to forestry practices may have influenced its decline. Its lifestyle is much like that of other marmots. Although Vancouver Island enjoys a mild climate, the mountains where the marmots live get heavy snows, and Vancouver Marmots spend seven or eight months of the year underground, deep in hibernation.
Also known as:
Vancouver Island Marmot
Sexual Dimorphism:
Males are larger than females.
Length:
Average:
668 mm
Range:
580-750 mm
Weight:
Range:
3-6.5 kg
References:
Swarth, H.S., 1911. Two new species of marmots from north-western America, p. 201. University of California Publications in Zoology, 7:201-204.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
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