304 MamMALIA OF INDIA. 
No. 311. ARCTOMYS CAUDATUS. 
The Red Marmot. 
Native NamMe.—Drwn, Kashmiri. 
Hasitat.—The North-western Himalayan range. It is found in 
Kashmir, the Wurdan Pass, Ladakh, the valley of the Dras river. 
DescripTion.—General colour rufous-ochreous, darkest above, “ the 
tips of the hairs are washed with black, which is most intense on the 
back from the occiput to the lumbar region ; pale yellow on the shoulders, 
which have few, if any, black-tipped hairs, and also along the sides, 
which are nearly free from them; chin, throat, belly, fore-legs and 
inside of front of lower limbs deep rusty red; the outside of thighs pale 
rufous yellow, with a few black-tipped hairs; greyish hairs around the 
lips ; cheeks washed with blackish; a large deep black spot on the 
upper surface of the nose; the rest of the front of the face rufous yellow ; 
tail black, washed more or less with yellowish-grey, the last four inches 
black ; the fur coarse and nearly 2} inches in length, loose and not 
adpressed; the black tips are not very long, and the yellow shows 
through them as a rule, but there are patches where they wholly obscure 
it; the base of the hair generally is rather rufous dark brown, and is 
succeeded by a broad rufous yellow band followed by the apical black 
one. Palm, including nails, 2,4, inches ; sole, including nails, 349 inches ; 
the heel is more sparsely clad with hairs along its margin than is the 
tarsus of A. bobac” (Dr. J. Anderson, ‘P. Z. S.’ 1871, pp. 561, 562). 
Mr. Blanford, who writes of this as Arctomys caudatus of Jacquemont, 
being of opinion that Hodgson’s 4. Hemachalanus is a smaller and 
differently-coloured species, and doubting whether 4. caudatus inhabits 
the Eastern Himalayas, says: ‘‘ Arctomys caudatus is one of the largest 
species of marmot, being nearly two feet long exclusive of the tail, 
which measures with the hairs at the end half as much more. The 
general colour is yellowish-tawny, more or less washed with black on 
the back, and with all the under-parts and limbs rusty red. In some 
specimens (males ?) the back is much blacker than in others, the hairs 
being dusky or black throughout, whilst other specimens have only the 
tips of the hairs black.” I am inclined to think that Mr. Blanford is 
right, for Jerdon thus describes 4. ’Hemachalanus: ‘“ General colour 
dark grey, with a full rufous tinge, which is rusty, and almost ochreous 
red on the sides of the head, ears, and limbs, especially in summer ; the 
bridge of the nose and the last inch of the tail dusky brown ; head and 
body above strongly mixed with black, which he equals or exceeds the 
pale one on these parts ; claws long; pelage softer and fuller than in 
the last.” 
Sizz.—Jerdon says of the dun: “ Head and body, about 13 inches.” 
