We have created cartoon characters based upon the Vancouver Island Marmot ... more click here

Marmots in the News

The Vancouver Island Marmots are an endangered spieces. As of late 2003, only 24 of the furry critters are alive in the wild and 63 are living in captivity.

The marmot population has never been large, but its ranks have been decimated in recent years in part due to clear cutting of its habitat and predation by cougars, wolves and hawks.

The Vancouver Island Marmot is the largest member of the squirrel family and is found only in the mountains of central Vancouver Island.

northStudio.com, Inc. is headquartered in Victoria on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Accordingly, we have chosen to raise awareness to the survival of one of our own dear creatures.

Our www.LodgingChannel.com accommodation search engine powers some 400+ geographically specific accommodation search engine directories which are seen and utilized around the world.

Hoel Ibardolaza, our senior graphic artist, developed the cartoon character of our "InnKeeper" marmot in February 2003. It is Hoel's ambition to draw the marmot in an original scene for each and every bed and breakfast directory which is part of the LodgingChannel.com family. In May 2003, Hoel introduced "Mrs." Marmot and Jr. in www.BedandBreakfastOntario.ca

In 2004 we will hold a "Name the Marmots" contest open only to any school classrooms from grades 10 through 12.

 

Vancouver Island Marmot
Latin name: Marmota vancouverensis
Taxonomic group: Mammals (terrestrial)
Risk category: Endangered
Range: BC
Year of designation: 2000

 

Description:
The marmot is a small, burrow-dwelling mammal. It closely resembles the hoary marmot and the widely distributed woodchuck. It is herbivorous and hibernates during the winter. The fur is chocolate brown with a white patch on the muzzle, some white hairs on the back, a black patch on the rump, and white spots on the abdomen. There is one moult a year, in July. Males measure 632 to 710 mm in length and weigh an average of 3.5 kg.

Distribution and population:
The Vancouver Island marmot is endemic to Vancouver Island. Present populations are confined to 25 sites on 13 mountains, but 67% of known animals occur on four mountains in a central, 40 km square portion of the range. Two small colonies occur on Mount Washington. All other active sites are located within five adjacent watersheds on south central Vancouver Island: the Nanaimo, Cowichan, Chemainus, Nitinat, and Cameron River drainages.

Marmots are continuing to decline in the wild. The highest count in 1998 was 71 individuals, compared to 102 in 1997 and 235 in 1984. At least five of the larger colonies have suffered extinction in the last few years, and the number of individuals has declined at several other colonies. In 1999, crews counted 57 animals in the wild, including 14 pups in three litters. Despite record amounts of snow, almost all of the known marmots survived the winter. The 2000 population estimate counted 36 marmots in the wild and 40 in captivity.

Approximate range

Habitat:
Typically, the marmots inhabit alpine and sub-alpine areas characterized by steep slopes, meadows, and rocky debris at bases of cliffs. The natural habitat of the species provides grasses and forbs to eat, colluvial soil for constructing burrows, and microclimatic conditions suitable for foraging, thermoregulation, and successful hibernation. Numerous patches of suitable habitat occur within the marmot's present distribution, but only 15 of the patches were occupied in 1999.

Steep slopes are preferred because avalanches clear them of snow in spring, thereby permitting early foraging. Avalanches also inhibit tree growth, allowing food plants favoured by marmots to flourish. Not all marmot habitat is maintained by avalanches or snow-creep. Mount Washington sites are dominated by scattered alpine fir and mountain hemlock interspersed with heather and blueberries.

Colonies on Mount Heather and Westerhold Basin live amid willow thickets and rock slides. Still others occur in clearcuts created by ski-run development and mine tailings. Juvenile survival in clearcuts is evidently lower than at natural sites. Lifetime reproductive rates are lower in logged areas.

Biology:
Natural colonies of marmots contain fewer than five adults on average. A few clearcut colonies often contain many more than this (20 to 30 adults), but only for short periods of time (about five years). Families normally consist of one adult male, one or more adult females, and a variable number of sub-adults, yearlings and young. The size and number of families varies between colonies and years. The marmots construct burrows in which to hibernate, bear young, hide from predators, and avoid environmental extremes. One commonly uses the same burrow for multiple years. Males are thought to be monogamous or polygamous, breeding with all available females. Overall, reproductive rates appear to be stable. Females are capable of breeding at age three, but most begin at four years old and breed every second year. Mating usually occurs in May; females give birth to three to five young about one month later. Two-year-old marmots disperse to other colonies on adjacent mountains or attempt to establish new colonies.

Preferred foods in spring are grasses and grass-like plants such as oatgrasses, sedges, and woodrush. In late summer, marmots in natural sub-alpine meadows switch to broad-leaved plants such as lupines and peavine. Since some of these favoured plants are unavailable in clearcut habitats, it is possible that the lower survival rate of marmots living in clearcuts may be partly due to poorer nutrition in these animals.

Threats:
The Vancouver Island marmot has been restricted to small patches of suitable sub-alpine meadow habitat for thousands of years. Over the past few decades, the species has disappeared from about two-thirds of its natural historical range. Most of the historical habitat patches are still available, and are relatively protected from human disturbance, but it appears that dispersing animals are not reaching them. Instead, these two and three year olds are colonizing closer clearcut habitats.

Temporary population increases have been observed at some clearcuts, but forest regeneration usually makes the habitat unsuitable for marmots about 15 years after they have colonized it. Female marmots living in clearcut habitats produce significantly fewer young in their lifetime compared with females in natural sub-alpine meadow habitats. The overall effect of forestry has been to concentrate the marmot population in a small geographic area. This makes them more vulnerable to predators (golden eagles, cougars, wolves), disease, and changes in vegetation and climate (i.e., snowfall, snowpack, temperature, and rainfall). Reintroduction of captive-bred marmots to former sites could enable the species' recovery.

Protection:
The species was designated endangered under the British Columbia Wildlife Act, and is on the province's Red List. Under provincial jurisdiction, it is protected against activities such as capture, harassment, trade, and killing. Most colonies occur on privately owned lands, but two marmot sites are legally protected. Many of the historically occupied colonies are in Strathcona Provincial Park, which is fully protected.

Recovery efforts:
Recovery Plan Status: a National Recovery Plan was first published in 1994; an updated plan was published in 2000. Planned Goals are to maintain the existing Nanaimo-Cowichan Lake population at no fewer than 200 animals, within the currently known distribution of the species; then to establish a second stable or increasing population of 100-200 animals; then to establish a third stable or increasing population of 100-200 animals.

Summary of Research/Monitoring Activities:

- 1987 - 1998: conducted radio-telemetry studies to track dispersion of marmots; marked and recaptured 10 -15% of the marmot population.
- 1992 - 1998: conducted population counts and searched for new colonies of marmots.
- 1994: initiated an international scientific collaboration focused on the Vancouver Island marmot; prepared a disease risk assessment for the species.
- 1995: conducted a habitat suitability study.
- 1997: completed a Geographic Information System (GIS) metapopulation study.
- 1998: collected and tested fecal and blood samples for Yersinia and other potential pathogens -- mortality could not be attributed to a particular pathogen.
- ongoing: conducting research to determine the cause of the low reproductive rates of captive marmots (i.e. physiological, environmental, social).

Summary of Recovery Activities:

- 1992: expanded the Haley Lake Ecological Reserve to 127 ha; established the Green Mountain Critical Wildlife Management Area (300 ha).
- 1994: established the worldwide "Adopt-a-Marmot" program.
- 1996: initiated a reintroduction program in natural sub-alpine habitat.
- 1997: initiated a captive-breeding program at the Toronto Zoo to develop techniques for breeding marmots in captivity -- 6 marmots formed the captive colony.
- 1998: added 4 young marmots to the original 6 marmots at the Toronto Zoo (2 of the 10 subsequently died), and the Calgary Zoo received 4 marmots in August to establish a second captive colony; established the Marmot Recovery Foundation, a new registered charitable foundation, to raise the remainder of the funds required to implement the recovery plan; musicians from Victoria organized a "Marmot-Aid" benefit concert; over 4000 people responded to a "Save the Marmot" campaign.
-1999: added 7 animals to the Toronto Zoo captive population, for a total of 15 marmots, and 10 animals to the Calgary Zoo captive population, for a total of 12 marmots; Nanaimo hosted an international workshop, bringing marmot experts together from four continents; completed the conceptual design for the Mount Washington breeding facility on Vancouver Island, which will produce animals for restocking areas from which marmots have disappeared.
- 2001: opened the Mount Washington breeding facility; transplanted the last of the solitary marmots which colonized areas created by clearcut logging of high elevation forests during the 1980s and 1990s.

Summary of Progress to Date:

The Vancouver Island marmot recovery team now has an understanding of the ecology, distribution, and limiting factors for this species. Population sizes and trends are known with some precision, and reintroduction and captive-breeding methods are being developed. Results from radio-telemetry studies and the mark-recapture of 10 -15% of the marmot population from 1987 to 1998 indicated that the survival of marmots is reduced in clearcuts, that the species has limited dispersal, and that terrestrial predators are an important mortality factor for the population. The 1997metapopulation study conducted using GIS indicated that marmots do not colonize clearcuts in proportion to their availability, but rather are diverted by and settle in nearby clearcuts. Each of 8 potential release sites in a 1995 habitat suitability study met the minimum criteria for the Vancouver Island marmot, but only one site rated as having "high potential."

There were 237 "adoptions" of marmots in 1998 (up from 102 adoptions in 1997). The Marmot Recovery Foundation continues to make progress in fund-raising and enhancing public awareness, with public support for marmot recovery increasing. Captive breeding is underway at the Toronto and Calgary zoos, as well as in British Columbia at a private breeding centre in Langley and the Mount Washington breeding facility. As of January 2002, there were 13 marmots at the Toronto Zoo, 15 marmots at the Calgary Zoo, 12 marmots at Mountain View Farm in Langley, and 7 marmots at the Mount Washington facility. A total of 10 marmot pups have been born in captivity since the captive breeding programs began. One pair of marmots produced a litter in 2000 and 2001. This was a very rare and exciting event because marmots in the wild rarely breed in consecutive years. The annual survival rate of adults in captivity is greater than 95%, compared to a rate of less than 70% in the wild.

Saving Canada's most endangered animal

One of the Vancouver Island marmot pups born at the Calgary Zoo enjoys a snack. This pup is one of only 75 Vancouver Island marmots remaining in the world. Vancouver Island marmots, found only in alpine meadows on Vancouver Island, are among the world's most endangered mammals. Fewer than 75 individuals remain on the planet. The 2001 field count found only 30 Vancouver Island marmots alive in the wild.

Over the past four years, the Vancouver Island Marmot Recovery Team has transferred marmots from the wild to three captive facilities to establish a captive breeding program. In 2000, the Calgary Zoo became the first facility in the world to successfully breed this species in a captive breeding program. This year, the Calgary Zoo was excited to announce the birth of two more pups. While these births are very encouraging, the wild population continues to decline, underscoring the need for further research into the survival needs of these highly social animals.

The Calgary Zoo's Conservation Research Department is analyzing Vancouver Island marmot behaviour to understand what conditions facilitate breeding. In cooperation with the other breeding facilities, we will compare behaviour profiles of successful and unsuccessful pairs, link these behaviours to hormonal profiles, and develop future mating strategies to create offspring for reintroduction. As hibernation deaths are one of the main causes of population decline in the wild, we are also investigating factors that may influence hibernation survival. In addition, Calgary Zoo veterinarians are continuing their work to investigate a bacterium that may be responsible for Vancouver Island marmot deaths in the wild.

With such a small number of animals remaining, this species faces the very real threat of disappearing forever. Only with good, applicable research will we really understand what is necessary to save Vancouver Island marmots from extinction.

To support this research project, contributions can be made by calling the Zoo's Development Department at 232-9334.