
1 Geo. 5 ProvinctAL Musgeum Report. BilT 





































In North America marmots are found distributed over a greater part of Canada and the 
United States, having a number of vernacular names by which they are commonly known in 
their geographic distribution. 
In Eastern Canada, especially in the Province of Quebec, they are known by the name 
“ siffleur "; in Ontario we hear of the woodchuck or ground-hog; the yellow-footed marmots 
of Southern British Columbia are known as woodchucks or rockchucks, while the hoary marmots 
of the mountains, the largest of our species, comparing favourably in size with the Alpine species 
of the Old World, are commonly called whistlers. 
The name “ siffleur,” probably taking precedent, was applied to the woodchuck of Eastern 
Canada by Baron La Hontan in 1708. 
In 1748 Catesby described the Eastern woodchuck under the name of “The Monax,” while 
three years later Edwards published a more extended account under the title of “The Monax 
or Marmotte of America,” his description furnishing the basis of the first technical name applied 
to the species—Mus monav Linnieus. 
For the next few years the name given to the genus underwent several changes until 
Blumenbach in 1779 named the genus Marmota; however, this was upset the following year 
by Sechreber, who introduced the name Arctomys; while of later date than Blumenbach’s, 
nevertheless received general acceptance and continued in common use for the marmots until 
the early years of the present century, when the name Marmota was restored as the proper 
appellation of the genus. (Trouessart, E. L. Cat. Mamm. Suppl. 1904, page 343.) 
The American marmots are naturally divided into three very distinct groups, as follows :— 
Monavr group: All the Eastern woodechucks, the Canada woodechuck, the British Columbia 
woodchuck, and the Ochraceous woodchuck of Alaska and Northern British Columbia. 
Flaviventris group: All the yellow-footed marmots. 
Caligata group: The hoary marmot of the mountains, including the species caligata, 
olympus, and vancouverensis. : 
Marmots, although chiefly diurnal, are sometimes nocturnal in their habits, feeding mainly 
on grass, succulent plants, and seeds; the Eastern species often doing considerable damage to 
cultivated forage-crops both by eating and trampling underfoot, and occasionally much hayoe 
is made by their visits to kitchen-gardens. These marmots, originally living in the woods, 
prefer open clearings, where they are usually found in pairs or families, having their burrows 
under rock-piles, stone walls, stumps, roots of trees, and often in open meadows. 
The yellow-footed marmots prefer rocky hillsides, in the crevices of cliffs, or under rock-piles 
in meadows, and are often abundant in the higher part of mountains, where they dwell more 
or less in colonies, their food being similar to that of the Eastern species, but probably including 
a greater proportion of native plants. These marmots also, when living at lower altitudes in 
close proximity to settlement, are exceedingly destructive to cultivated crops. 
More gregarious in their habits, like all the Old World species, hoary marmots in the 
southern part of their range are always found about rock-slides around timber-line, but in 
Northern British Columbia and Alaska they are frequently found at low altitudes, often making 
their burrows in open meadows or grassy hillsides; while little is known of their feeding habits, 
it is generally conceded they feed like the other species. 
They are extremely partial to fine weather, feeding during the summer months both early 
and late, and are extremely fond of sunning themselves on their mounds or projecting rocks 
where they feel safe from attack, spending a large part of their time during wet, dull, and 
stormy weather in their burrows. As fall approaches they become less active, often only 
appearing for a few hours during the hottest part of the day. 
When alarmed they rush at once to the entrance of their burrows and sit up on their 
hind-quarters to survey the scene and detect the danger. Should the enemy approach too close 
a loud shrill whistle is uttered and they disappear into their burrows, reappearing after a time 
to see if all danger is passed. The whistling of the hoary marmot, being more pronounced, ean 
be heard for a considerable distance; it is from this habit the name ‘“‘ whistler”? has been applied 
and the name “ siffleur” to the woodchuck of Eastern Canada. 
Marmots usually produce from four to six at a birth, the young of the Eastern and yellow- 
footed species appearing about the latter part of May, while the hoary marmots probably breed 
Somewhat later. Little information on this point is at hand. Swarth states “that in Southern 
Alaska young individuals of M. c. caligata were seen running about in the middle of June, but 
2 
