_edited_p.png)
Yellow-Bellied Marmot
Scientific Name:
Marmota flaviventris
Type:
Mammal
Habitat:
Meadows and valleys of mountainous areas
Range:
Western North America from southern Canada to northern Arizona and New Mexico
Status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)
This species is
NATIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
Yellow-bellied marmots resemble large, stout squirrels. They can grow up to 11 inches in length and weigh up to 11 pounds. Their fur is a brownish-reddish color everywhere except for their bellies which, as their name suggests, are yellow. Yellow-bellied marmots can most often be spotted in high elevation areas near rocks.
Fast Facts:
Yellow-bellied marmots hibernate up to eight months a year, leaving only a short four months for them to mate, raise their young, and fatten up for the next winter.
Since they are most often seen near rocks, yellow-bellied marmots are often referred to as ‘rock chucks’.
When they aren’t busy feeding or grooming, yellow-bellied marmots can often be spotted sunning themselves on top of rocks.
Yellow-bellied marmots build extensive underground burrows. Abandoned marmot burrows are often used by other species.
Sources:
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Yellow-Bellied Marmot, 2014, https://www.fws.gov/refuge/lee_metcalf/wildlife_and_habitat/marmot.html
National Parks Service, Marmot, 2018, https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/nature/marmot.htm
IUCN Red List, Marmota flaviventris, 2021, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/42457/115189809
Wildlife Land Trust, Yellow-Bellied Marmot, 2021, http://www.wildlifelandtrust.org/wildlife/close-ups/yellow_bellied_marmot.html
Contributor(s):
Meghan Anderson (research & content)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)