Meet the Marmots and Pikas

IPWA
7 days ago
3 min read

By Rob Pudim

There are a number of mammals that stay in the high-country all winter while many others are vertical migrators who go lower as the temperature drops and snow deepens. Two favorite full time residents in the Indian Peaks and James Peak Wilderness areas are the Yellow-bellied Marmot (Marmota flavivensis) and the Pika (Ochotona princeps).

Is it a squirrel?

Marmots are one of the largest members of the squirrel family and are related to woodchucks and groundhogs which live in other parts of the country.

They can be two feet in length and weigh up to 11 pounds. Their large body size is an adaptation to the cold, high elevation sites in which they live.

Marmots have reddish-brown fur and a yellow belly, from which they get their name.

Is it a mini-marmot?

A Pika is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal native to Asia and North America. With short limbs, a very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative, the rabbit, but with short, rounded ears.

Both Marmot and Pika are well suited for winters at high elevation and have developed burrowing and mating strategies to aid in their success.

Where might you find a Marmot or Pika?

Look among the bigger talus rocks in the high country to find a sunbathing Marmot or foraging Pika. Talus is a slide of rock debris of smooth and sharp surfaces on the side of a mountain. Mt Audubon has talus on its east side. Scree, a Norse word for landslide, is small loose rocks. The two words are said to be synonymous but my mountain friends say scree is loose gravel- two steps up, one step back- and talus is big stones--tippytoe stepping from rock to rock.

Marmot Fun Facts:

Marmots spend more than half of the year in hibernation, which can last from September to May depending on their home elevation
The Yellow-bellied Marmot is nicknamed the “whistle pig” for the high-pitched chirp they make to warn other group members about potential threats. Although yellow-bellied marmots do not see well, they have an excellent sense of hearing and smell.
Mating season: Early spring, after emerging from hibernation (April or May).
Mating system: Can be monogamous or polygamous. A single male may mate with multiple females in his territory.
Gestation period: About 30 to 35 days.
Birth: Late spring to early summer.
Litter size: Typically 3 to 8 pups.
Development: Marmot called pups are born blind and helpless and begin to emerge from the burrow around 3 weeks of age.

Watch the video below to learn more about marmots:

Pika Fun Facts:

Pikas may resemble rodents, but they are actually lagomorphs and more similar to rabbits and hares than rodents.
Mating season: The breeding season occurs when snowmelt begins, from April to July, with the peak typically in May and early June.
Gestation: The gestation period for a pika is about 30 days.
Litter size: Females usually give birth to two to six young (also called kits) in a litter.
Multiple litters: A female can have two litters in a single year, especially if the first litter is born early in the season.
Birth: Young are born blind, hairless, and helpless, and are raised by their mother.

Watch the video below to learn more about pikas:

Naturalist column exploring high country flora, fauna and geography

IPWA volunteers are often asked by visitors not just about the trails, but about what they are seeing in the Indian Peaks and James Peak Wilderness Areas. This column will cover some of the plants, animals and geographic features that hikers, anglers and backpackers may come across in these areas.

About Rob Pudim

A long time Boulder resident, Rob describes himself as “a coal-miner's son from Pennsylvania, a "fallen" scientist (Chemistry, Rutgers University and Microbiology, Tulane University) an editorial cartoonist, an amateur lepidopterist, a Native Plant Master, and a long-time birder”. His affiliation with IPWA goes back to its founding in the 1980s.