Ground Squirrel — Marmot. 307 



THE MARMOT. 



The Marmot is found in America, Europe and Asia; and 

 is known in some localities as the bear-mouse, and in 

 others as the ground-hog and Avoodchuck ; the Wish-Ton- 

 Wish, or prairie dog of North America, is not a true 

 marmot, but very similar to it in size and many of its 

 habits. The Marmot is the largest living representative 

 of the squirrel family. It has a stout, thickset form, and 

 a short bushy tail. It is characterized by the absence of 

 cheek pouches, and by the flat nail with which the rudi- 

 mentary first front toe is furnished, as well as by certain 

 peculiar features of the skull and cheek teeth. 



The most widely distributed species on the North Ameri- 

 can continent is the Arctomys-lMonax, called Weemusk 

 by the Cree Indians, and known in commerce as the Quebec 

 Marmot and Woodchuck. 



The Yellow-Bellied Marmot (Arctomys-flaviventer), found 

 only in the .Rocky Mountains, and the large Hoary 

 Whistling Marmot (Arctomys-pruinosus), are not so num- 

 erous; and none of the American species are of much 

 value commercially. Europe has two species; the Alpine 

 or true Marmot (Arctomys-marmotta), and the Eastern 

 or Russian Marmot (Arctomys-bobae). Besides the Arc- 

 tomys-bobac there are numerous unimportant varieties in 

 Asia, one of which, the Red Marmot, is a much larger 

 animal and has a much longer tail than any of the other 

 species. 



The skins used in commerce come principally from south- 

 ern Russia and Siberia, where these animals exist in vast 

 numbers, consuming the growing grain and other crops, 

 and annoying the farmers with the large hillocks they 

 throw up in making their burrows. The burrows often 

 descend to a depth of from seven to ten feet, and besides 

 the main entrance have another opening to be used as an 

 avenue of escape in case of emergency. Each burrow is 

 tenanted by a family of from ten to fifteen members, but 

 there are always large colonies where these animals collect, 

 either in the mountains or on the plains in the north. 



