THE SQUIRRELS—MARMOT. 



315 



The care of Ground Squirrels presents no difficul- 

 ties, and they thrive well on the simplest diet of 

 grain and fruit. 



THE MARMOTS. 



The Marmots {ArctomyincB), -which form the second 

 sub-order, differ from the Squirrels proper by having 



plunder the nests of the latter. Some Marmots do 

 harm in fields and gardens; but the mischief they 

 do is very slight. While eating they sit on their 

 haunches like Squirrels and lift the food to the 

 mouth with their fore-paws. When the fruit ripens 

 they begin to gather treasures and fill their burrows 

 with grasses, leaves, seeds and grain. At the be- 

 ginning of winter they bury themselves in their bur- 

 rows and fall into a deep and uninterrupted lethargy. 



The voice of the Marmofs consists of a whistle or 

 yelp, louder in some species than in others, and a 

 kind of murmur, which, uttered softly, signifies con- 

 tent, but otherwise is an expression of wrath. They 

 are highly cautious, vigilant, shy and timid and 

 many species put out special sentinels, in order to 

 enhance the security of the band, and at the slight- 

 est apprehension of danger these watchers hurry to 

 their subterranean hiding places. The intelligence 

 of the Marmots shows itself in the fact that they can 

 be tamed to a considerable degree. The majority 

 recognize their keeper and become very familiar, 

 and some get to be quite obedient and docile. 



They are very prolific. On the average there is 

 only one litter of young in a year, but it numbers 

 from three to ten little ones. _ The fur of some spe- 

 cies and the flesh of others are used; and tamed 





#•5 



Range and 



Habits of the 



Marmots. 



THE BUBUNSUK. This animal, otherwise knovm as the 



Striped Siberian Ground Squirrel, is the Old World relative of the 

 American Chipmunk. It lives in the woods and subsists on seeds and 

 berries, which it conveys to its mouth in true Squirrel-fashion. ( Tamias 

 sMatus.) 



a clumsier, stouter body, and a short tail, and also in 

 their dentition. 



The Marmots are found in central 

 Europe, northern Asia and North 

 America, in considerable variety. 

 The majority of them inhabit level country, but 

 some exist in the very highest mountains of their 

 native homes. Their haunts are dry, clayey, sandy 

 or rocky localities, grassy plains and steppes, fields 

 and gardens, and only the mountain Marmots prefer 

 the grazing country beyond the limit of forest- 

 growth or isolated ravines and rocky valleys be- 

 tween the snow boundary and the forests. All 

 species have permanent residences and never mi- 

 grate. They build deep, subterranean burrows and 

 live there in communities sometimes composed of 

 astonishingly great numbers. Some have more than 

 one burrow, according to the season or the business 

 they have on hand, while others stay in the same 

 burrow year after year. They are animals of the 

 ground, lively and quick in their movements, but 

 slower than the Squirrels; several species of Mar- 

 mots, however, impress one as being very clumsy. 

 Grass, herbs, tender shoots, young plants, seeds, 

 field produce, berries, roots, tubers and bulbs go to 

 form their food, and only those few which can, with 

 much labor, climb trees or bushes, eat young leaves 

 and buds from the trees. Probably they also feed 

 on insects, small mammals and awkward birds, and 



SOUSLIK, f his ]Mirru\Mng iiii ii i), frun 1 in t ist( i n !Europe, delights 



in grassy localities such as that depicted in the illustration. They are socia- 

 ble animals, always foupd in company with others of their kind. (Spermo- 

 philus cHitlus.) 



Marmots also make attractive pets, but these are 

 all the uses to which the animals are put. 



The first group of the Marmots is formed by the 

 pouched species known as Spermophilus. 



The Souslik The Souslik {^Spermophilus citillus), 



a Russian Sper- occurring in central Europe, is a 



mophile. pretty little animal, nearly of the 



size of a Hamster, but more slender and having a 



