Olympic marmot

, the first to describe the Olympic marmot American zoologist and ethnographer Clinton Hart Merriam first formally described the Olympic marmot in 1898, as Arctomys olympus, from a specimen he and Vernon Orlando Bailey collected on the Sol Duc River. The genus, Arctomys, is from the Greek for "bear-mouse". The species name, olympus (Olympic in Greek), was given because this species is native to the Olympic Peninsula. Within Marmota, the Olympic marmot is grouped with species such as the hoary marmot (M. caligata) in the subgenus Petromarmota. Among this grouping, mitochondrial DNA analyses suggest that the Olympic marmot could be the sister species to all other species in the group. The Olympic marmot is thought to have originated during the last glacial period as an isolated relict population of the hoary marmot in the Pleistocene ice-free refugia. As of October 2011, molecular data indicate that the most recent common ancestor of the Olympic marmot and its closest relatives lived 2.6 million years ago. The Olympic marmot deviates from the typical Petromarmota marmots in the shape and large size of its mandible (jawbone), in differences of the dorsal (back) region, and having 40 chromosomes instead of 42, all of which are characteristics that resemble the subgenus Marmota. Some of the differences of the Olympic marmot's jawbone from the typical Petromarmota are also evident in the Vancouver Island marmot (M. vancouverensis), which evolved separately, but also occurs in a restricted range with a small population. ==Description==

The Olympic marmot's head is wide with small eyes and ears; the body is stocky with stubby legs and sharp, rounded claws that facilitate digging; the tail is bushy and ranges from long. The species rivals some lesser-studied Asian species as the largest marmots and largest members of the squirrel family, with similar body masses attained by some species such as the Tarbagan marmot and the Himalayan marmot. The coat is double-layered, consisting of soft, thick underfur, for warmth, and coarser outer hairs. Infant marmots' fur is dark gray in color; this changes in the yearling period to grayish brown with lighter patches. The adult coat is brown on the body with some smaller white or pale brown patches for most of the year, becoming darker overall as the year progresses. The first molt of the year occurs in June, commencing with two black patches of fur forming on the back of the shoulders. This black coloration then spreads to the rest of the body, and by the fall the coat is almost black. A second molt is thought to occur during hibernation, The Olympic marmot's muzzle is almost always white, with a white band in front of the eyes. This species can be readily distinguished from the hoary marmot, with which it shares almost every other physical trait, by the lack of contrasting black feet and a black spot on the head. The Vancouver Island marmot has a similar coat color—chocolate brown with white patches. == Distribution and habitat ==

Olympic marmots are native to the Olympic Mountains in the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. They live in colonies spread out in various locations in the mountains and containing the burrows of varied numbers of marmot families. Some meadows can contain as few as one marmot family, while some can have multiple families, amounting to as many as 40 marmots. There is a higher risk of inbreeding and death from random events in meadows with fewer marmots, making migration essential to the survival of the species. The home range of a family of marmots usually covers from half an acre to five acres (0.2–2 hectares). The Olympic marmot is well-adapted to its generally cold natural habitat, where there is snowfall almost every month of the year on the mountain slopes and barren grasslands. ==Ecology==

Feeding Olympic marmots eat meadow flora such as avalanche and glacier lilies, heather blossoms, subalpine lupine, mountain buckwheat, harebells, sedges, and mosses. Their water requirements are met by the juice in the vegetation they eat and dew on the plants' surfaces. At this time, they also obtain water from melted snow. however, it is also preyed on by avian raptors such as golden eagles. Evidently, black bears rarely prey on marmots—bears' presence close to colonies generally does not elicit alarm calls, unless the bear advances to within of the colony. The coyote is the Olympic marmot's primary predator, and studies show that marmots make up approximately 20% of coyotes' diet during the summer months. David P. Barash reported that when hunting Olympic marmots, a coyote or cougar approach a marmot to within about , advance to a fir tree close to its prey, and then chase the marmot from uphill. As humans in the Olympic National Park do not hunt the marmot, but simply observe them, they do not pose a threat to them. When researchers intrude on colonies to observe behavior, the families living in burrows there initially make ascending calls, showing surprise, but later adjust to the presence of humans, allowing studies to proceed. Parasites of the Olympic marmot include Diandrya composita and fleas of the genus Oropsylla. ==Behavior==

Colonies Olympic marmots are gregarious burrowing animals, living in colonies typically containing multiple burrows. Activity varies with the weather, time of day, and time of year. Due to rainfall and fog cover during June, July, and August, marmots spend most of the day inside their burrows during these months, and emerging to forage for food mostly in the morning and evening. At other times of year, Olympic marmots can sometimes be found lying on rocks where they sun themselves for warmth, grooming each other, playing, chirping, and feeding together. Burrows are used for hibernation, protection from bad weather and predators, and to raise newborn pups. females move only a few hundred meters, while males often move several kilometers away from their birth burrow. When communicating vocally, Olympic marmots have four different types of whistles, Olympic marmots also communicate through the sense of smell. A gland located in their cheek exudes chemicals which they rub on scenting points, such as shrubs and rocks, which can be smelled by other marmots in the area. Nonparous females (those who have not given birth yet) and adult males become inactive first, because they do not need to store as much fat beforehand. The parous females, yearlings, and young of the year become inactive a few weeks later, because they have to gain more weight. The marmots of a colony hibernate in a single burrow space, which they keep closed with dirt. In a given year, a third of females will have a litter. The marmot comes out from hibernation at the beginning of May, and estrus (heat) occurs about two weeks later. After hibernation ends, both male and female Olympic marmots engage in courtship rituals. Females who have never produced a litter before tend to be more aggressive and chase or instigate fights with males; females which have already produced young tend to greet the male with nose-to-nose or nose-to-genital contact, with copulation following shortly afterwards. This approach is often more successful than the aggressive manner of the non-parous female. Mating takes place 11 and 20 days after hibernation ends. The relationship between a sexually mature male and female Olympic marmot is polygynous; males tend to breed with three or four females in each mating season. It takes about a month for young Olympic marmots to first leave the burrow; around this time, their mothers begin to wean them. Upon emerging, the young initially stay within the immediate vicinity of the burrow, where they can be often be found chasing each other and wrestling playfully. Within a few weeks, the young are fully weaned and can feed themselves. Olympic marmots are not completely independent from their mothers until they reach two years of age. Breeding-age female marmots are extremely important to marmot populations. If a female of breeding age dies it can take years to replace her; marmot litters generally have no more than six pups, the maturation period is long, and many marmots die before reaching maturity. ==Interaction with humans==

The Olympic marmot is the second-rarest North American marmot, behind the critically endangered Vancouver Island marmot. The first records of marmots in the Olympic Peninsula date back to the 1880s. The Olympic marmot has been considered a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List since first being included in 1996. State law declares that the Olympic marmot is a protected wildlife species and cannot be hunted. Governor Chris Gregoire's signing of Senate Bill 5071 was the result of a two-year effort by the fourth and fifth graders of Wedgwood Elementary School in Seattle. The students researched the marmot's habits, and answered legislators' questions to overcome initial bipartisan opposition to another state symbol. On May 13, 2024, the Center for Biological Diversity submitted an Endangered Species Act petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asking the agency to protect the Olympic marmot under the Endangered Species Act. ==References==