Marmota baibacina, Kastschenko, 1899
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6840688 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FFA3-ED5E-FF6C-F873F8FCF68F |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Marmota baibacina |
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Gray Marmot
French: Marmotte des steppes / German: Graues Murmeltier / Spanish: Marmota gris
Taxonomy. Marmota baibacina Kastschenko, 1899 View in CoL ,
Multa River, near Nizhne-Uimon
in the Altai Mountains. Interpreted by S. I. Ognev in 1963 as “Altaisk. Krai, Russia.” Two subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
M.b.baibacinaKastschenko,1899—EAltaiandTianShanMts.
M. b. centralis Thomas, 1909 — W & C Altai Mts and likely include populations extending to EC Kazakhstan.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 460-650 mm,tail 130-154 mm; weight 4.2-6.5 kg. Gray Marmots have lightly grizzled brown to charcoal dorsal pelage, with conspicuous suffusion of tan to buff to yellow, such that an individual appears gray. Face is dark brown to cinnamon to black, with white-to-buff patches around nose and chin. Venteris tan to bright rust. Tail is light brown to pale gray at base, with black tip. Subspecies centralis has rusty to orange venter. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 38 and FN = 70.
Habitat. Gently sloping open or boulder strewn mountain steppes, meadows, and rocky outcroppings at elevations up to ¢.4000 m.
Food and Feeding. The Gray Marmot is herbivorous and feeds primarily on young grasses, shoots of forbs, and herbaceous material growing in open grasslands.
Breeding. The Gray Marmot lives in multiburrow colonies. After emerging in May, mating occurs later in May and early June. Single litters of 2-6 young are born after gestation of 40 days. Young do not mature until three years old.
Activity patterns. The Gray Marmot is diurnal and only active for 4-5 months each summer; it hibernates in burrows for the remaining 7-8 months of the year.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Gray Marmotis social and lives in multiburrow colonies usually in groups of up to ten individuals that may communally hibernate. Dispersal occurs as three-year-olds begin to explore and move away from natal areas. They frequently sit on burrow mounds and remains vigilant; alarm calls are short high-pitched whistles.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. Population trend of the Gray Marmot is unknown. Lack of knowledge about natural history impedes conservation and management. Hunting for food and medicine appears to be a significant threat in some localities. Gray Marmots have been successfully introduced in the Caucasus.
Bibliography. Armitage (2009, 2014), Brandler (2003), Brandler et al. (2008), Galkina et al. (2005), Kolesnikov et al. (2009), Ognev (1963), Polyakov (2005), Polyakov & Baranova (2007), Ricankova et al. (2014), Skalon & Gagina (2006), Thorington et al. (2012).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
