276 Marmota caligatasouthern portion of their distribution. M. caligata is rarely
hunted or used for food or pelts.
general references: Barash 1989; Blumstein 1999; Kyle
et al. 2007.
Marmota camtschatica (Pallas, 1811)
Black-Capped Marmot
description: Black-capped marmots have a grizzled buff
to yellow to gray dorsum. The venter is cinnamon to rust to
russet. The front legs and shoulders are often paler and tend
toward olive or buff. The tail is brown to charcoal to black.
The most conspicuous feature is a black “cap” on the head,
which extends from beneath the eye and from the nose to
the back of the skull, then narrows into a mid-dorsal line
extending to the midback, often with smaller extensions
from the eye beneath the ear to the shoulder.
size: Both sexes—HB 495 mm (460–530 mm); Mass 4000 g
(2900–5000 g).
distribution: The black-capped marmot is found in east-
ern Siberia, in isolated populations from Transbaikal to Ka-
mchatka (Russia).
geographic variation: Three subspecies are recognized.
M. c. camtschatica—eastern portions of the range. This is the
largest of the subspecies, and the most boldly marked.
M. c. bungei—cent ra l por t ion of t he ra nge. This form is inter-
mediate in size, with a fainter coloration than M. c.
camtschatica.
M. c. doppelmayri—southern and western portions of the
range. This form is the smallest of the subspecies, with
less prominent black markings and more suff usion of
brown.conservation: IUCN status—least concern. Population
trend—no information. The Baikal population is considered
rare.habitat: Black-capped marmots inhabit open alpine mead-
ows within low mountain forests, and dry well-drained sites
with silt and boulders within mountain dryad–green moss
tundra.natural history: M. camtschatica hibernates during win-
ter months (often for a period of eight months) and emerges
in May. The winter burrows have depths down to the per-
mafrost. These marmots hibernate in large groups, perhaps
even in multifamily groups. They overwinter, plugging the
burrow entrances and using a great quantity of nest bed-
ding. They plaster the nest walls and thicken the ceiling of
the burrows with crushed stone to maximize the indoor
winter temperatures. In winter these marmots arouse peri-
odically, independent of their hibernation conditions. There
are age diff erences in the duration of the hibernation bouts,
the arousal times, and the quantity of energy expended.
Black-capped marmots live in colonies with many burrows,
and groups consist of a reproductive pair and their youngMarmota camtschatica. Photo courtesy Kenneth B. Armitage.